YRP Living the 17's
by Furby123
Summary: This is a fanfic which tells the story of our three girls Paine, Yuna and Rikku, when they are 17. High school fanfic. YxT, RxG, PxB. Hope you all enjoy it. PS: I'm not a native english speaker, so my grammar isn't really good. I'm searching for Beta readers who can correct my mistakes. Review and follow? I almost forgot: don't think that it's a "forgotten" story. Look at the updat
1. Chapter 1 - Paine POV

_Come on girls, be quite please. Come on, please._

I continued hearing the whispering of my flatmates, who were raising the tone of their voices as they were speaking.

_Ok Paine, come, relax. Five, four, three, two, one…_

I jumped out of the bed and closed the door of my room with a slam at the same time I shout them to be quite. Silence. I looked to my clock and saw that there were only five minutes left until my alarm sounded. _What the hell? Though they are only five minutes, I want to sleep,_ I though while I was returning to my bed.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

_Impossible. _I turned off my alarm clock and looked at the ceiling of my room. _You'll pay dearly for it girls, I swear._

I woke up reluctantly. I took my jeans, my black boots, one of my vests of the same colour and my jacket that I bought myself expressly for these boots. I got into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. _Everyday the same thing. _It is not that I liked to make up to go to classes, but if I didn't, I would have to stand scolding from Rikku saying basically that I had a sickly aspect. _I will put only a make-up base, I don't have time for the rest._ I went out of the bath and took my books to put them in my bag. I started looking for it for all my room without finding it. _Maybe I left it down,_ I though and went out of my room lowering the stairs of two in two.

I came to the lounge and started looking for it again, but it wasn't there either. I heard the voices of my friends in the kitchen, so I decided to go and ask them.

"Do you have any idea of where I left my bag yesterday?"

"Good morning Paine." Said Yuna nicely.

"Yeah, morning. My bag."

"Eeep" Exclaimed Rikku.

I turned towards her and stared at her green eyes.

"Rikku?" I asked angrily.

"Well, you see, I left my bag in class yesterday and…I don't have other and…"

"In class?" I said and I went to the lounge. After a few seconds, I returned with her bag. "So, what this then?"

"Rikku, I think she's caught you." Yuna laughed.

"Paine! My bag doesn't suit with my clothes today." Rikku answered.

_ Does she just take my bag because hers doesn't suit with hers clothes?_, I asked to myself. I looked her up and down. She was wearing a pair of red boots, a pair of black shorts and a sweater of the same colour.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked sceptically. "Give me it back."

"You can take mine. I'll give yours at the end of the day."

"Rikku, you shouldn't go taking the bags of the others because yours doesn't suit with your clothes." Said Yuna, looking at her mug full of coffee with a little smile.

"What?! But it was your idea." Shouted Rikku. "Paine, please, just today. I swear it's the last time."

"No Rikku, I want my- " I started to said but Yuna interrupted me.

"Girls, argue about it while we go to the high school, we have to go."

I looked at the clock of the kitchen and saw that we had to be in the high school in 10 minutes. I looked at my books, which I had left in the table of the kitchen, and then to Rikku's bag. It was a bag with stripes of different colours, something that was not going with me for anything. I breathed heavily and put my books unwillingly in it. When I turned to look at Rikku I saw that she had a smile of victory in her face.

"I'm going to kill you"

"Yuna" Yelled my blond friend and she hid behind her cousin.

"Paine. You have to do it later, you haven't got time." Yuna laughed.

We come to the high school a few minutes before the stamp sounded. We go to our first class, which was Chemistry. It wasn't a boring class, and at least, nobody disturbed me in this subject, even the teacher. We sit down in our places of always like of custom: Rikku next to the wall, Yuna in the middle and me in the other side.

Normally in this class, a girl called Lennen sat down next to me. She was a quiet girl and that's why I didn't care if she sat next to me. It was better that to have to support to other people as Oakka, who didn't stop speaking, or as Sahma, who always was asking stupid things. Ten minutes had happened since the stamp had sounded and since the teacher had come, and there was no Lennen's track. _Maybe she's ill,_ I thought and turned myself to speak with Yuna and Rikku.

"Well, someone's woke up grumpy today." Rikku said looking at me.

"The truth is that I don't like to wake up with your noisy voices."

"Excuses us Paine, we didn't meant to disturb you." Yuna said worry.

"But you had to wake up in a few minutes!" Rikku yelled me.

"I still had five minutes of sleeping." I said a little annoyed. "I wanted my five minutes."

When I finished saying it I felt that someone was sitting down to my side. _Not a boring one, please_, I wished. I looked over my shoulder and saw Gippal leaned on the chair and looking at his mobile. _What is he doing here?_, I wondered. I looked at the back of the class looking for his friends. Tidus was sat in the same position as Gippal, looking also down, and Baralai was sat in a correct position, taking some notes occasionally and attending to the teacher. I continued looking at them trying to analyze the situation until Baralai raised his head of his papers and looked at me. I returned myself rapidly, shamming that I was attending to the class. _Great…now he'll start extracting his own and erroneous conclusions._ I looked at Gippal out of the corner of the eye and saw that he still was with his mobile under the table. _At least he isn't bothering me._ Ha, how wrong I was.

"Hey, Paine."

_Oh, he knows my name, what praise._

"Hmm?"

"You could be a bit more discrete. Tidus has caught you looking at Baralai."

_What! I wasn't looking at him!_

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"If you say so."

I turned myself to look at him and saw that he had a stupid grin of satisfaction in the face. _Five … four … three … two … one …_, I counted mentally and breathed depth.

"As I said before, I don't know what you're talking about."

Gippal just laughed and continued speaking for the mobile with Tidus, according to what I deduced after our small conversation.

The class seemed to never end. I was looking at Yuna and Rikku out of the corner of my eye and saw them speaking, surely of these stupid videos that they saw together. I noticed that the teacher was looking at them so I gave a flick to Yuna in the back.

"Rikku." Cid, the teacher said. "Come here and resolve the problem of the other day."

"Of course." She said happily.

I let her pass, but Gippal was too much entertained with his mobile to realize that he was blocking the way to Rikku, so she gave him a gentle touch in the shoulder accompanied of a smile to call his attention. Gippal startled and looked towards the teacher before looking at Rikku. He looked at her a few seconds before returning the smile to her and let her pass, following her with the eye. _Does he just realize that she exists or what?_, I thought, observing him.

"You should be more discrete." I told him while I was looking at the whiteboard.

"Excuse me?" Gippal asked.

"Yeah, you know. Oh come on Gippal. It seems like you have just realized that she exists after so many years."

"Like what happened to you with Baralai."

"Ok, get it memorized, I wasn't looking at him." I answered him angry.

"Listen Paine." He started saying, but the stamp of change of class sounded and I already was taking my things and going to my following class.

Yuna went out with me to go to her History class and I went to my English class, which was beginning in five minutes.

When I came to my class I left my books and I realized that I had forgotten my pencil case. I could leave it there, because surely, Rikku would take care of it, but a part of me realized that if I was not going for it, I would have to ask for a pen, which it would imply having to speak with the people and being grateful to the person who gave me one. I left my things in a site that I found and went out running for my pencil case.

When I arrived, I saw that Gippal had not moved of his site, and that his friends had sat down with him. I saw my pencil case on the table where I had been sat before, that now was occupied by Tidus. When I approached for it, Tidus took it and removed it from me. I threw him an aggressive look and took the pencil case of his hands. He and Gippal limited themselves to laughing while Baralai was smiling. _Could they be more stupid?_

I started walking towards the door when I heard that Gippal was calling me. I turned myself to see what he wanted and he threw me a wink. _Five…_ I inspired, _four … three … two …_, I gave up the air, _… one …_ and I went out of the class. _It's going to be a really hard day._

Both classes before lunch time were unbearable. The needles of the clock seemed not to advance. Finally, the rest came. I saw that Yuna and Rikku already had come and taken a table to sit down.

"Paine!" Rikku greet me.

"Kill me, please, I don't bear anymore this day." I begged.

"Come on Paine, there're only three more classes." Yuna said, trying to cheer me.

I looked at her to say something but suddenly, I heard somebody calling my name. I turned myself to see again the boys who seemed that they had just known me. Tidus threw me an enterteining smile, Gippal was laughing heartily and Baralai was just smiling. The countdown did not relax me. I got up and stuck a stamp with all my forces to Tidus.

"Fuck!" Tidus yelled.

_What? You didn't expecting it?_ _People know what happen when they annoy me._

I pick up my books and walked away. I looked at my friends, who were staring at me with the jaws dropped.

"See you later girls." I said and I left the room as quick as possible. _What's wrong with those guys today?_


	2. Chapter 2 - Yuna POV

**Ok, so I don't think I should say this, but anyways. First: I do not own Final Fantasy. Second: If anyone wants to read it in Spanish, there's a link in my profile where you can read it. Third: Please, any follow and review? :3 **

**Hope you like this chapter and the story, although the following ones will be better. I'll try to update a chapter each 3 or 4 days.**

**(Yuna)**

I watched worried and surprised how Paine'd left the room. I knew her. She behaved like that when she was getting angry, but today I had noticed her also a bit nervous, especially after chemistry class.

I shook my head and turned to Rikku, whose eyes were fixed in the place where Paine had disappeared. She was exactly like I, still trying to assimilate what had happened a few minutes ago.

"We will clarify everything when we see her. There has to be an explanation." I said to Rikku.

Rikku smile slightly and sad and sat down next to Gippal. Balarai was still showing in his face the confusion for Paine's going. _Poor boy, he shouldn't be used to these things, he seems to be a very calm person. _The poor Tidus, which had taken the worst part, was continuing rubbing his foot, though he was smiling. I sat down to his side, since Rikku was in a conversation too much entertained with Gippal on the meteorological time as to borrow me a bit attention.

"Sometimes it's better to kept distant from Paine when she gets angry…you know." I commented to Tidus, who move slightly the head like assent while I was feeling again ignored.

I changed my strategy and prepared to speak with Balarai, but however much I looked around for him, I couldn't find him. _Maybe he goes to look for Paine_, I thought.

To mitigate my boredom I began to pull the braids of Rikku, who looked at me with a face of nuisance and a smile in the lips while she was trying to escape of me.

"Hey, it's really boring if you ignore me like that... I prefer being with the grouch of Paine." I told her pouting.

Rikku gave up a guffaw, which made that all her small and blonde braids dance around her head. Rikku's attitude was incredible before bad situations.

"And why aren't we looking for her then? What are we waiting for?" Rikku said with her natural smile.

We get up of our seats but, of course, it wasn't so easy to make Gippal and Tidus letting us to go. My bag had disappeared.

"So funny boys. Give it back. I wanna go."

Rikku wasn't stopping laughing while both boys were passing my bag from one to the other as if it was a ball of rugby. At the end, tired of running across, I caught Rikku's wrist and pulled her far.

"Inside the bag it's our address. I want it this afternoon."

We went to the corridors, stopping to take the timetable from Rikku's bag, since mine was in the bag that two monkeys with the brain of a pea had taken from me.

We enter the classroom and sit down together, without managing to see Paine, _Maybe she have left to home?_ It was something that was surprising me since Paine was not of those that going home for anger and lose three classes.

After thirty minutes of class, I was bored. I look for the classroom, looking for Rikku's green eyes who, even being punished alone in a table in front of the teacher, she continued moving her head making dance her thin braids to the sound of a song that was in her head. I shook my head with a sigh. _This girl is challenge_.

Rikku used to sit down to my right during the classes, but today she had decided to express her musical qualities giving a concert to all of us in the middle of our English class. We had a good time observing as the teacher was changing the colour of his face, from red up to dwelt. As a consequence, the teacher had put her under his vigilance.

The time was passing too slowly, sometimes I suspected that some teachers had the "amazing skill" to stop the time during their classes and our philosophy teacher wasn't an exception. _If only Rikku could pay a bit attention!_

"Rikku, could you please tell me what time is it?"

I waited to my cousin answer, but she wasn't listening to me. _Can somebody explain me where she has her head?_

I followed Rikku's look and discovered she was completely absorbed looking to... Gippal?! _This woman isn't okay_,_... Maybe she has the period. _

"Rikku likes Gippal." I sang with a noise voice.

I can swear that her face would remain recorded in my mind for years. She had her eyes wide, her lips forming a perfect "O" and a blush covering her ears and her neck. But her expression was the one that someone would put when it had been plundered making something wrong. _I cannot believe it ... she likes him indeed!_ Before this expression I could not contain a guffaw, making that the teacher change me from my site to another one. _Bah, it might be the time by now._ And, as attending to my desires, the stamp sounded rightly when I sat down in my new provisional seat.

The people of the back and among them Gippal and Tidus, went out in stampede to the door, doing a stopper to do the grace.

"Oh! What are this two doing now?" I charmed infuriated.

I went to move away from the people, hopping that the stopper dissolved soon and saw that Rikku was caught there. I ran towards her to take out her of there before she hurt herself. I slipped past in the tide of people following the golden sparkles of Rikku's hair and finally I hold her arm. Rightly when I turned myself to pull her out, I felt that the human stopper was yielding before the pushes that the people were giving to go out.

I couldn't think "You gross" before falling down against the floor. I held my eyes closed, waiting to feel some type of pain until a laugh near my ear did caught my attention.

"Don't eat me." Somebody said in a seductive tone.

_On whom have I fallen?!_ I opened my eyes and saw that I was on someone who was wearing a pair of grey jeans and a yellow shirt. I raised the look towards the face of the person and saw that it was Tidus. I got up of above him as a tomato.

"Err-I-I'm sorry. Rikku-you-err."

I looked at Tidus and noticed that he had a stupid smile. _Is he laughing at me?!_ I looked at him angrily, I apologized rapidly again and run away from there, pulling Rikku downstairs and trying to ignore his constant cants saying "Yuna likes Tidus."

I was afraid that the last hour was going to be too long.


	3. Chapter 3 - Rikku POV

**Hi there! Again and again, I don't own Final Fantasy X-2. I told you last chapter that in the third one comes the fun and here it is. Hope you enjoy it. I know that the second chapter wasn't very good, but it's so difficult for me to write Yuna centric. Read and review! **

**(Rikku)**

"Yunie, you're running too fast."

It had passed a few minutes from Yuna's "accident" with Tidus. Though, I think Yuna shouldn't be so…so…so…how can I say it? So Paine? The poor Tidus had saved her from a good blow against the floor.

"Yunie, I need to go to the bath-" But before I could finish saying it, we had passed completely from the bathroom. "Well, it doesn't matter. I think I can wait."

_Great. Now I will have to support an annoyed Paine and an annoyed Yuna. It isn't fair! I don't have such as energy! Besides, I also have my own problems. Yunie had caught me looking at Gippal, what if he also has realized it? Oh, what a shame!_

While I was torturing myself for looking at Gippal, Yuna had already taken charge that we were punctual to our last class. _Very nice for you, Yunie…_ We sat together and, as in the previous classes, Paine wasn't there. I know that philosophy and a session of old short films were not very exciting, but Paine was always worried about her academic process, that's why her sudden flight was not normal in her.

Unfortunately for Yuna, and for fortune for me, Gippal and Tidus were in our class too. The boys had managed to obtain a place next to each of us. Tidus sat next to Yuna and Gippal sat next to me. This provoked me to blush cause…err…I mean… Oh come on, the hottest guy of the class has sat down to my side and is not ignoring me! At this moment, my inner-Rikku was celebrating it with her dance for special situations.

Well, that Gippal is the hottest one is a personal opinion. But, he's perfect: these green eyes, well rather "this green eye", the other one is covered by a patch. I've never known what happened to him… Oh, where was I? Oh, yes! Gippal…with his blond hair and his dark tan and his cheekbones and his lips and his neck, and…and…and his hands and…and… I wonder how his body will be. Don't misinterpret me, I mean if he will have muscles or not.

While I was doing my own Gippal's portrait, the teacher came and turn off the lights. Yes, it is my opportunity! I could be looking at Gippal without nobody realizes it. After 20 minutes of the movie, I lie, after 20 minutes looking at Gippal and imagining all the possible dates with him, my mobile vibrated. _Who dare to disturb me during my contemplation to a god?!_ I was hoping it was Paine, but it was an unknown number. I opened the message and read it: **"If you're still like that it's going to give you something".** _Pardon? What is this all about?_ Another message entered again: **"I don't want to take you to the hospital."** _Ok, definitively they've got the missing number_. But my mobile vibrated again.

"Could it be possible!"

_Upss. I shouldn't have to say it loudly._ The whole class was looking at me and the teacher was waiting for a response. I still don't know how I muddle through.

"It's a pity that… they don't make…movies like this… They…they show a great work and … yeah…

"Oh miss Rikku, you're right." The teacher interrupted me. "I'm glad to see that a movie like this causes this reaction in the young.

"Yes! That's what I mean!"

_Almost_. After this exchange of opinions, I tried to see the new message but just when I was going to open it...

"Good muddle through." Somebody whispered to my ear. "Can you tell me what's happening?"

I turned myself to answer Yuna. Obviously I wasn't going to tell her about the messages, it would be to admit that I was looking at Gippal by snatches. I did a gesture to her with the head and she caught it at the first time, stopping question me.

I returned to the message that says: **"Maybe we can negotiate"**. _Ok, What the hell is this? Now are they doing blackmail to me?_ I knew it had to be someone of the class. In particular, someone who was behind me, having a good sight of me. I started searching among my class-mates, but nothing. Suddenly, other message arrived: **"next to the column."** When I turned myself, I distinguished perfectly the platinum hair of … Baralai!

_Oh my God…Baralai is one Gippal's best friends. That means that he could tell him that I've been looking at him and he would think I'm stupid and…and…Oh my God!_ I decide to answer him: **"a business? About what?"** _Great Rikku, now you are losing the whole dignity that you still have_. After a few minutes I received his response: **"maybe could help me with something."** Had I just done an agreement with the devil or something? I didn't like anything of the word "something". But anything to keep my secret safe.

When the class finished, Yuna began to tell me to hurry up, but I had to something to solve, so I told her that she should wait for me out. When I lost her of sight, I walked towards Baralai.

"Do you agree?"

"Have I other choice?"

"It's up to you."

"What do you want?"

"A phone number."

"A number?"

"Paine's number."

"Are you crazy? If I do something like that, she will kill me." Paine was the type of person who was always worried to keep her privacy all the time.

"Come on. Your secret for her number."

"…"

"I don't have the whole day."

I'm sorry Paine… I have my reasons. I'm so sorry.

"Fine. Here you have it."

After this, I went out of the class to meet Yuna.

Yuna was waiting for me under the tree in front of the door of the high school. It was the place where we wait to the other. We couldn't go away to house if we all weren't there. And for me it was something special. We had recorded our initials in the trunk. YRP. These three letters were everything for me. And to think that I've already taken Paine's privacy…

"Rikku, are you ok?" Yuna asked me.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Paine. Yuna, let go home. Maybe she's there.

"She'll be fine, don't worry."

While we were going away from the high school, we saw Gippal and his friends, who were laughing. Baralai stared at me with a soothing expression. Maybe I was wrong about him, actually, Baralai seems to be a good guy.

That made me relax myself and return to joke with Yunie. I started to jump around her and singing. Do you know? Any action can turn out to be dangerous if it's me, Rikku, who realizes it. While I was jumping and walking at the same time, I forgot one step. The normal thing in this situation is to fall down and in my case it wasn't going to be less. The worst thing of everything is that I didn't fall on the floor, though it would have been better. On the contrary I fell against a row of motorcycles. _Very well Rikku, it only happens to you!_

This time it was me who was pulling Yuna to runaway. Firstly, because I was scared from the owners of the motorcycles, and secondly, I was embarrassed.

In a few minutes we would be in home and… _Shit! Shit! Shit! I have forgotten Paine's bag in class! She's going to kill me!_ I went out running saying to Yuna that I would see her in home. _Please be there, please it should be there, please be there_. I arrived to the high school again, but I had to convince the janitors to let me entered, but they refused. As I couldn't go home without the bag, I took advantage of one of their many distractions to enter. When I opened the door of the class I saw Paine's bag was just where I left it. Now, I could come back home without putting my life in danger. Paine's bag was safe and sound.

When I arrived home, Yuna and Paine were already sat in the carpet, ready to clarify what happened today.

"What's happened Rikku? Where have you been?"

"Well, you see…err…I forgot to ask the name of the film…" _Good answer Rikku._

"I don't know what you have seen in that film. It was so boring."

"Well, but I liked it. Look Paine! Your bag is safe, as I told you."

"Yeah, sure…" _Was it sarcasm what I was noticing in Paine's voice?_

"Hey! I've always take care of your things!"

"Oh really? As you take care of my favourite shirt?"

"That was an accident! I told you!"

"Girls please, can we focus?" Yuna said.

"Right. Paine, tell us why you are like this today."

"Is an order?" Paine asked in a threaten voice. "Cause I don't think you have many respect points."

"Paine, please, would you explain your behaviour of today?"

"Much better, but you're not sound like you want to know."

"Please, please, please, please…PLEASE!"

"Girls! Focus in!"

I didn't want to annoy Yuna, so I sat down on the carpet, waiting for Paine's explanation.


	4. Chapter 4 - Paine POV

**Well, hello there! As always, I don't own final fantasy, and I'll really appreciate if you review this story :) Hope you'll enjoy it!**

**(Paine)**

"Come on Paine, tell us what's wrong." Rikku said.

"Paine, we were so worried about you. Has something happened to you?" Yuna asked me concerned.

"What? No. Well, yes. It's just…" I didn't know how I could explain to my friends what had happened today. I even know how to explain to myself. I know it was lunch time, and then Tidus and the others appeared, Tidus smiled me and I get angry. I stepped on him and I went home. "Ok, this morning, in chemistry, Gippal had sat down next to me. That has surprised me and I thought that his friends weren't in class, but I turned around and I saw them at the back, in a two-table."

I kept in silence for a few minutes, thinking. _What had happened to get me that angry?_

"And?" Rikku asked me impatiently.

"Nothing. I stared at them surprised. Tidus didn't notice because he was talking with Gippal through his phone, but Baralai did."

"Paine…Were you looking at Baralai?"

"Rikku! Haven't you heard me? I was staring at both of them." I yelled her.

"Does he like you?" My dear friend asked me with a smile in her face.

"Rikku!"

Yuna laughed.

"What about you Rikku? Does Gippal like you? Because I've caught in the same situation as Paine." Yuna laughed more.

"Yunie!"

We stared at each other a few seconds until I began to laugh.

"Coming back to the subject, Tidus told Gippal that I was looking at Baralai, and then, Gippal started to tease me, and well, the two "pea-brained" started to laugh about me because they think that I like Baralai."

"Paine, I can't believe that you told them that before us. We are your friends." Rikku yelled at me.

"Rikku, I'm only going to say it once. No, no and no. I DON'T like Baralai." I answered her, putting an emphasis on each word.

"But, If you don't like him, why you've behaved like that?" Yuna asked me.

I looked at the carpet we were sitting on while I answered her.

"I don't know." _Liar, of course you know._ "I didn't want they continued laughing at me the whole day."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Ok Rikku, if you continue to hint that I like Baralai I'll take 10 points of respect from you."

"Does she still have any point of respect?" Yuna asked smiling.

"Paine, you can't do that!" Rikku said angrily.

"Of course I can." I answered her with a grin.

Rikku went to say something but my mobile started sounding. I got up and went to take it from Rikku's bag. I looked at the screen during a few seconds before rejecting the call. _I do not want to speak with him_, I said to myself. When I returned to sit down, Yuna was looking at me with curiosity, but Rikku was avoiding eye contact with me. _What's wrong with her now?_

"Who was, Paine?" Yuna asked me.

"Nobody." _That's was that person is for me after all._

"You don't know the number?" Rikku asked shyly.

"Yes, I do." I answered her and I saw how her expression relaxed. "But I don't want to talk with that person. Girls, I've got an exam tomorrow, I'll be in my bedroom studying." I continued saying while I rubbed my eyes.

"But Paine, we haven't finished." Rikku exclaimed.

"Yes, we have." I said, picking my mobile and going to my bedroom.

For me, my room was my sanctuary. Nobody entered if I didn't want, and it was where I had all my things. At first, when I moved with Yuna and Rikku, I didn't think of bringing all my things, but little by little I was better with them and ended up by living here. I moved with them last year.

I lay down in my bed. It was true that I had to study, but I had too many things in my head and couldn't concentrate myself. I turned on my laptop, reproduced some songs and threw it aside.

_Why now? I thought that I told him that I didn't want to know anything about him._ I looked at the call that I had received. _Ikach_. Ikach was a boy with whom I started flirting with a few years ago. It began exactly like today. I looked at him, he realized it and started talking to me. We talked every day, at all hours and about everything. It was a happy stage of my life. I say "it was" because suddenly, everything changed. I had a season in which I didn't want to know anything of anybody, and during this time, he already had another girl. He broke my heart, but I couldn't forget him. When he left the other one, he came back to me and I, as a silly one, acted as if nothing had happened. When I thought that everything was like before, he left me again. I was feeling as a shit. The last time that he had tried to talk with me, I ignored him. Later I sent him a message saying that I didn't want to know anything about him and that he should let me. It had been a few weeks before moving with the girls. I hadn't known anything of him until today. _Maybe, my behaviour of today has been to prevent it to happen again, _I thought to myself. _Maybe? It is clear that yes, I wanted to prevent to happen again. I couldn't support it. But I cannot tell this to the girls, not because I didn't trust in them, but because I don't want anybody knows it._

While I was having this little talk with myself, the stamp of the house sounded. I opened the door of my room and waited to see if some of my flatmates were opening, but nothing. The stamp sounded again and I went out running downwards. _It has passed only an hour, where are they?_, I thought while I opened the door.

_Oh no!_ On the other side there were Tidus, Gippal and Baralai, who carried Yuna's bag. I looked at them up and down.

"Aren't you going to ask us to enter?" Gippal asked me with a stupid grin.

"No."

"Come on Paine. Remember I'm hurt." Tidus said pouting and pointing at his leg.

I stared at him before I answered.

"I've said no."

"Hi." Baralai greeted me. "We've come to bring Yuna her bag. She has left it in class." He said and he gave me the bag, smiling.

I take the bag and left it in the lounge. When I turned to the door, they were still there.

"You have given me the bag already, you can go now." I said, though for my tone, more than a purpose, I was forcing them.

Just when Tidus was going to say something, Rikku and Yuna appeared behind them. Rikku greeted Gippal with a small smile and Gippal returned it to her. They remained looking each other for a long moment. I was thinking that at any time they would be in the arms of the other one, but Baralai interrupted their moment.

"Hi." He greeted.

"Hello guys." Yuna answered.

Gippal continued looking at Rikku and he didn't realize that Yuna had greeted him. _Pathetic_. Nevertheless, Tidus greeted her and winked an eye. _Hello? I had gone only a few hours, what is this?_

As for the art of magic, Rikku stopped looking only at Gippal to look at the others.

"Why don't you come?" Rikku asked.

"Ask Paine." Gippal answered.

"Paine, don't be mean, come guys." Rikku invited them.

_What?! I don't want them to stay in my house!_

The boys came after the girls, and they sat on the sofas we had in our lounge. I closed the main door and I went to my room, shutting my door with a slam. I put my earphones on in order to not listen to them.

A half hour had passed approximately when Rikku came to my room.

"Out."

"Paine, you should come with all, you'll enjoy it."

"I'm studying, so get out of here."

Rikku looked at my desk and saw my books.

"Paine, just ten minutes." Rikku begged me.

"No." I answered sharply.

"Rikku!" A masculine voice called her.

We stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.

"Coming!" Rikku said, and she left my room offended.

_What I've done now?_

Two hours later, finally, the boys decided to go away. I looked out of the window to make me sure that they were going away indeed. Yuna and Rikku went out to see them off, but they stay with them more time out. While I was observing them behind my curtain, my mobile started vibrating. I hoped that it was another call, but to my surprise it was a message. **"What has happened to you today?"** It was an unknown number, so I decided not to answer. I continued looking in the window and saw that the girls still there with them, but Baralai had disappeared. My mobile vibrated again. **"I'm sorry if I've disturbed you."** Again the same number. I continued without answering and then I saw that Baralai appeared in my field of vision. _I thought th__at he had gone away_.

Fifteen minutes later, the girls came back home and rose to my room to talk seriously with me. Rikku went to enter but Yuna held her arm and pulled her backward.  
"Rikku, first we have to knock."

"What? But the door's open." Rikku said, looking at her with wide eyes.

"It doesn't matter Rikku, knock."

Rikku knocked the door and I turned to her with a huge smile.

"Yes?" I asked. "Do you need something?"

"Yes, Miss. We want to know why this behaviour." An angry Rikku said.

"Paine, why don't you give the boys a chance? I understand that you don't want to be her friend, but you shouldn't act like this."

I was about to answer Yuna when my mobile vibrated. **"Good luck for tomorrow."** _Okay, now this is weird and annoying._

"The same call again?" Rikku asked me moving closer to me to look at my mobile phone.

"Rikku, move away from me or I'm going to hurt you." I threatened her. "And no, it isn't the same call. I don't know this number."

"Maybe they've got the wrong number." Yuna said.

"Maybe, but as I said before, I don't know the number. Perhaps you know it." I said showing them the number.

Yuna took her phone and checked out the number but nothing. Rikku did the same thing, but suddenly, she remained with a serious face and pressing the telephone against her chest. I looked at her with a rose eyebrow.

"Rikku, are you okay?" I asked her.

"Paine, you see, I-I-"

"Rikku, what have you done?" Yuna asked a little confused.

"I know the number." Rikku said and run to her room, closing the door.

Yuna and I followed her and tried to get into her room, but something was impeding us from turning the latch to enter.

"Rikku, get here. You haven't told us who is." Yuna told her.

"I'm afraid of Paine." The blond girl said from the other side of the door.

"Of me?"

"You're going to get mad at me, but I hadn't got other choice."

"What have you done?" Yuna asked her again.

Rikku told us everything that happened during the last class from the other side of the door of her room. When she stopped speaking, Yuna looked at me waiting for a response. At first, I didn't know what to do. On one hand I was bothered because Rikku had given my number to Baralai, but a small part of me wasn't angry at all, it was as if it was glad. I ran to my room and put on the music again.

I was studying until dinner time, when Yuna called me to go down.  
I lowered the stairs and saw that Rikku was waiting for me in the lounge.

"Paine, I'm so sorry." My friend said worried.

I looked at her, waiting for a response, but I was surprised to see that I wasn't mad at her, just a bit upset.

"It doesn't matter, Rikku." I said with a smile.

"But Paine, I know you like to keep your privacy."

"Well, I know a way to take revenge." I said laughing and going to the kitchen, where Yuna was waiting for us.

"What?!"

Rikku came behind me and begged me to not humiliate her. Obviously, I wasn't going to do anything like that, but I had to do something.  
"Let see Rikku, you haven't respected my intimacy in this aspect, truth?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, then, I'm going to do something similar to you." I told her and I winked Yuna.

"Paine, please-" Rikku started to say but I run to her room and started to search in her mobile, photos, laptop…

Rikku came with Yuna, laughing. I started laughing also with them while I continued searching her things. Suddenly I stopped in dry looking at a photo.

The photo was taken last summer. It was a photo of Rikku and, for my surprise, Gippal. It was taken in a beach, maybe in Kilika, in the afternoon. Gippal had an arm on Rikku's shoulders and had the same smile that he had given this morning to Rikku, and Rikku was…embracing him! They seemed happy. I looked at the girls, who were still laughing.

"Yuna." I called her.

Yuna looked at me and approached to see the photo. Her reaction was the same that mine. We changed a look and later we look at Rikku, which was looking at us surprised. She approached at us and when she saw the photo, she tried to take the laptop from me, but Yuna stopped her.

I left the computer on her desk and sat down on the floor, in front of her bed. Yuna sat down on the bed and Rikku lay down on it.

"What's wrong girls?" Rikku asked blushed.

"You haven't forgotten to tell us anything about your summer holidays, have you?" I asked. _Here comes my revenge._

"Rikku, I'm your cousin. Why haven't you told me?" Yuna said trying to sound offended but with a smile in her face.

"Owie…" Rikku murmured, hiding her face in her hands as she began to tell us her little holiday.

It seems that Rikku went to Killika during her summer holidays, to the house of some relatives. At first, they had been a relaxing holiday, knocked down in the hammock, without doing absolutely anything. But Rikku got bored about them and decided to go one night to a party in the forest. There, she saw Gippal, that originally, didn't see her, but when he did, he left the people he was talking with and approached to her. He greeted her and Rikku startled, but she returned the greeting to him. According to what Rikku told us, Gippal was also there of vacations, so they started agreeing to meet with some common friends to go to the beach. Initially, it was a great group of people, but little by little she and Gippal started staying more their own, until the day in which Gippal had to leave, that was the same day that they took the photo together.

When she stopped telling us the history, Yuna and I look at each other without knowing that to say. _Now it has a bit more sense Gippal's behaviour towards Rikku._ The silence was an awkward silence, but thankfully, Yuna broke it.

"Girls, it's late."

"Fuck it, I've got to go on studying."

Rikku didn't say anything. She just stared at the photo.

"Good night, Rikku." Yuna said as she left Rikku's room.

I messed up her hair and went away also. Just when I was going to enter into my room I heard that Rikku was calling me.

"Paine, don't say anything to anybody."

"Don't worry."

"It's just…I don't know if he still have the photo…I don't want him to think I'm stupid."

I felt something strange while I heard Rikku saying these words, so I gave her a hug and went away.

I closed the door of my room and started to study again. _Great… another night adventure._

It seems that I fell asleep studying, because I got up in my notes. I looked at the clock that was hanging off my wall. 8:23. _Shit … I'm late. Why nobody have woke me up?_, I thought while I dressed as fast as I could.

When I arrived, the class had begun 5 minutes ago. I looked for my friends in some of the four-tables and saw that they were accompanied by Tidus and Gippal. I looked backward and saw that the only place where I could sit down was next to Baralai, which was sitting behind my friends. I sighed and sat down to his side. I thought that he wouldn't pay attention me, as there was another person next to him, but I was wrong. He passed me a sheet of paper in which he had written: **"I like your hair today."** I looked at it surprise and then I remembered that I hadn't combed my hair and even fixed it up, as always. I had it down and throw aside. I didn't answer him and he returned to write: **"I say It seriously."**, and he gave me a flick on the table in order to that I was looking at him and seeing that he was serious. A snicker escaped from me and I wrote him: **"I've gone out late, I couldn't have fixed up."** Baralai smiled and underlined the first phrase that he had written to me. _I shouldn't answer him neither smile him,_ I thought, but then a little voice inside my head said that I should do it. **"Thank you."** He nodded and returned to pay attention to the Spanish teacher.

I looked at my friends and saw that Gippal had sat down next to Rikku and that, occasionally, he was whispering her something that made Rikku snickers. I looked at Yuna and saw that she was avoiding looking at Tidus when he spoke to her.

I was totally lost in my thoughts that I startled when Baralai gave me a touch in the arm. I looked at him and saw that he was pointing to something that he had under the table. They were a few cookies with bits of chocolate that I really like. He offered me the package and I took it because I hadn't had anything for breakfast. _Mental note: buy a package of cookies for Baralai_. While I wrested the package of cookies from Baralai and hide it under the table I heard him laugh and he returned his attention to his notes.

_Paine, remembers that we don't want to repeat what happened with Ikach. If you're like that, you'll go really wrong_… This little voice in my head was true, but what Yuna told me last night was right either. I looked at her and saw that she continued avoiding looking at Tidus, so I took my mobile and sent her a message asking was happening. She said that nothing but I continued insisting until she confessed me that she had fallen on him and that she was so embarrassed to talk to him. _What the fuck, I go away a few hours and I lost the most interesting thing._

The class finished and I tried to sit down with my friends, but the pea-brains didn't let me, so I went away discontentedly to my place next to Baralai again. If I wanted to prevent the same situation that happened with Ikach, sitting down next to Baralai wasn't helping very much.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and saw that he was sending a message. I thought that he was speaking with Tidus or with Gippal, but my surprise was when I saw that, when Baralai was putting his mobile in his pocket, Rikku was taking hers. _He is speaking with Rikku!_

Finally, lunch time came. I went to my friends and saw that their "admirers" didn't let them go, so I held each one by the arm and took them to the bathroom, where I knew that their "admirers" couldn't enter.  
"Who's first?" I asked looking at them.

The two exchanged a look and I decided to begin with Yuna, which surely would be briefer.

"Yuna, what happened with Tidus?"

"Paine, I've already told you, I fell on him, he said me: "Don't eat me, beautiful.", and I got up as quick as possible." Yuna explained me.

"True." Rikku said laughing.

"Fine. Rikku your turn."

Rikku looked at me and swallowed.

"What's wrong now with me? I haven't done anything."

"You were talking with Baralai."

"He he he … You catch me?" She asked.

"I was next to him..." _Oh really Rikku?_

"He was thanking me for having given him your number."

I looked at my friends and decided to not continue with the interrogation until we were alone for sure.

We went out of the bathroom and we saw that the boys had gone away. Yuna and Rikku were looking for them, but there was no track of them. _Yes! _I thought.

We entered to the cafeteria and I started looking for a free table in which to sit down, but then, someone called Yuna. Tidus. He and the other boys were sat at a table with three chairs waiting for us. I sat down next to Baralai, talking with him about our last Biology exam. We sat there until the lunch time ended.


	5. Chapter 5 - Rikku POV

**Hello! Well, first of all, I wanna thank to PaineMe for her advices, I've tryed to follow them, so I hope that the chapters are better with grammar. Read and review please, or at least read and enjoy it.**

**(Rikku)**

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiingggggggg.

"_No no no no no no no no… __NO. Please, chemistry no … Any other subject but chemistry_", was my first thought at the bell sound. I wanted to speak with Gippal a little more but with my father ahead it was going to be impossible. Yes, I've said "father". It seems my family doesn't have anything better to do than ruin the small reputation I have. I'm sure my father is here to control myself, though according to him he's too old to continue in a laboratory, but he doesn't want to lose out on his knowledge. So, now he's the chemistry teacher who is entering the class.

-Good afternoon class. C'mon, sit down. We haven´t got time to waste.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stop paying attention to Cid's words. He was my father and he knew me too well to know when I was distracted and when I was interested in something. If he caught me distracted, he waited until we were alone and he gave me the lesson once more. And on top of that, after those "lessons" I had to take a test to demonstrate Cid that I was paying attention and I had understood everything.

Anyway, pay attention, pay attention, pay attention. Come on Rikku, it's not so difficult. Let's see, solubility of Na (OH) in 50gr of…

-It's wrong - I said to my father who looked at me with a challenging expression.

-Excuse me?

-It's wrong - I repeated to him. That time it was me the challenging one.

-Where, according to you, have I committed the mistake? - he asked me. Wait, was he insinuating something? I know I'm not the most agile person with chemistry but I have the enough knowledge to affirm that he was committing a mistake.

-The second step, last operation – I reply him in a couldn't-care-less tone.

-So, you think that I have committed a mistake at the moment of calculating the… - he didn't continue. He changed the result and he continued with the problem. He didn't even say I was right. That was unfair! Pops and I were going to have a few small words this evening.

While my father and I were in that small exchange of ideas, the class stayed silent and nobody dared to say something or to raise the looks from their notebooks.

After showing to my father he was wrong, I sat up in my seat to finish the problem and, accidentally, I knocked my casing and all my things fell to the floor. After gathering them, I turned my look to Yuna and I saw her breaking a sheet of her notebook because of pressing so much her pen.

-Yunie? - I asked her with enough worry - everything's ok?

-What? Oh, yes. Everything's perfect. No problem.

-The notebook has a different opinion - I told her with my ironic smile.

-Oh… the pen doesn't paint?

-Try again - I told her - I know you can do it better.

- … an acid candy?

-One of those super-mega-hyper acid candies?

-… Emm… Yes…

-…

-…

-Do you have more? - I asked her with the sweetest look I could put.

-Hahahaha, sure - and she gave me another candy winking her eye.

I tried again to pay attention to the chemistry class. My father was trying to explain all the steps of the problem to one of my companions, but there was no way. That girl was a challenge for all the teachers. But just when I was ready to write in my notebook, my mobile started to vibrate. I hoped it wasn't Baralai again; I've given him Paine's number already. In addition, I hadn't looked at Gippal in the whole class. It almost gives me something when I saw the name of the person who send me the message. Gippal! I blinked several times to assure me that everything was real. When I decided to open the message, my face couldn't be redder: "Thank you for the view ;)" OMG! I knew it wasn't a good idea to go with miniskirt to class, I knew it. What a shame, please, what a shame! Automatically, my mobile phone vibrated again. Another message from Gippal: "Relax". Ahhh! He was looking at me!

Just when I was thinking my end had come, the bell sounded. Uff, today never rather: saved by the bell. Without waiting one more minute, I took my things and went out of the class. Yuna also hurried in going out of the class, so she reached me immediately.

-What's wrong with you? Why these hurries? - she asked me with a little anger.

-I just need to go home. I'm overwhelmed enough by Monday's exam and I want to prepare it already - I lied.

-But today it's Friday, which means it's our girl's day, which is equivalent to not study.

-Yes, well, you're right… Only, let's go already.

We only had to wait two minutes for Paine to go home. On the way home, I recovered my normal attitude. I don't know what has this way, but it always makes me return to the happy Rikku.

When we arrived home, I just threw myself to the floor. I wanted to sleep so badly. It wasn't possible! I'm a 17-year-old girl, I should eat up the world on a Friday evening, not remain thrown on the floor of the living room. Suddenly, I cheered up more.

-Oscar! You have come to receive me. Who are the nicest things in this house? Yes, exactly. You and I.

Oscar, Oscar… He is my little dog. I adore him. My father gave it to me when I came to live through myself with the girls. It was a small gift of farewell. Oscar is adorable, although Paine says it's a rat and the ugliest thing in the house. No no no no no, my Oscar isn't it.

-Rikku, if you don't leave that thing and come to the kitchen, you will forget to eat again.

-Oh Painy, Oscar wants to be a moment with me. He has been the whole day without me.

-You two have been playing this morning and you forgot to have your breakfast.

-But Paine, haven't you seen how he looks at you in this sweet little face? - I said to her while I brought Oscar near her face.

-Take it out of my face, if you appreciate the life of your rat.

-Oscar, his name is Oscar.

-Whatever. I only come to tell you that lunch is ready.

-Come on, Oscar, we are going to eat - and I went to the kitchen with my dog in arms.

I sat down in my seat with Oscar in arms. You see, Oscar is a living being, and he needs to feed. Nobody had the fault of his desire for Paine's plate. But Paine tried to kill small Oscar right away. Because of it, I had to change her plate for mine and enclose Oscar in my room.

When I finished my lunch, I gathered the kitchen and since I was so tired, I went away to my room to rest a little. As I entered in my room, I saw my laptop on. It seems that I left it on yesterday with Paine and Yuna. When I opened it to turn it off, I saw that it had a file opened. It was Gippal and me's photo. I couldn't avoid it, a smile escaped from my lips when I remembered last summer.

It was supposed that I was going to pass all the summer in my uncles' house like a punishment because I did a party at my house without telling my pops. The truth is that it wasn't the first time and already I was in the ultimatum. So little by little I met the people of the surroundings, and certainly, one of these persons was Gippal. I remembered perfectly the first time I saw him: we were on the market buying everything for the lunch. Sadly that was the only enjoyment with my uncles. Returning to the story, when I saw him at first I didn't realize who he was, so I had to look at him once or twice … well, more than a pair of looks … a lot of more. It seems he found it funny because he approached to my aunt and me, but clearly, I was in this place like punishment, so my aunt only left me to greet him. Gippal also was passing the summer in this Kilika with his cousins. Since I saw him on the market, I was always offering to go to the market in order to see him again, but I had the limited time, so I had a little time to spend chatting with him.

One day, the sons of some friends of my uncles invited me to go on encamped. Since they were known of my uncles, they didn't have any problem in leaving me to go with them. They said it would be our little summer secret. I remember with all luxuries of details that day. Gippal and I didn't stop looking at each other; speak to each other; laugh at each other; drink…

-OSCAR! How many times have I told you to not play with the cables.

Great, the computer had gone out. Actually, I was grateful for it, it was the only way to stop thinking about him. I gathered the computer and lay down on the bed remembering that summer. Five minutes later, my eyes were closed. But my small dream was interrupted by a few blows in the door. Yuna was trying to wake me up from about half an hour.

-It's time for us to start fixing up if we want to go to the party - Yuna said to me.

-Party?

-Emma's party… Rikku, how could you have forgotten? - Yuna said exasperated.

-I hadn't forgotten, it's just that … that … that I have just got up? - I said to her doubtful.

-Whatever Rikku, but start fixing you up.

After two hours enclosed in my room, I finally went out. Paine and Yuna were waiting for me. The truth was we were really informal, but it doesn't mean that we can't spend hours with our look. When we had everything ready, we went away to the party. We go walking because it was close enough and, plus, it was a party huh? It is supposed that there would be the typical party things: music, "drinks", food…

When we arrived, I was quite impressed with the place. Emma can obtain incredible things with very little and that party was another proof of it. When we greet Emma, I went away towards the bar. It was Friday, I had had a horrible day, I wanted to forget about everything. Don't blame me! While I was waiting for my drink, someone called me. Thanks to the mirrors I could see that it was Gippal. I was instantly ashamed as I remembered what had happened in class so I didn't dare to turn. But we are talking about Gippal, so ten seconds later he sent me a message: "In the dancing floor in the following song". What an original way of asking me to dance with him! Gippal was a person who gets all he wants, but I wasn't going to put things that easy, so I answered him: "Wait 'til I finish". Just when I send the message, someone caught me by my back. Ok, I didn't expect that one.


	6. Chapter 6 - Yuna POV

**Hiya! Well, here's another chapter. As always, I hope you all enjoy it. I know I said that I wouldn't write from Yuna point of view, but I thought there're things that only Yuna can explaine.**

**School's started some weeks ago so I'll update each Thursday, so the next update will be the 23/1/14. See you then.**

**(Yuna)**

I called Rikku and told her that she should start to prepare herself for the party because if she didn't do it, we would be late. When I made sure that she had heard me, I went to my room to prepare myself too.

I opened my wardrobe thinking in the clothes I should wear. It wasn't that I needed to go smart, not anything for the style, but let's say that I wanted to impress someone.

**FLASHBACK**

"Yuna? Are you listening me?" Tidus asked me. He was sat next to me during the break. Of course I was listening him, but I didn't dare to look at him at the face after the small accident of yesterday.

"I'm sorry Tidus." I said and saw as Tidus threw a look of panic to Gippal. Gippal was talking with Rikku but when he saw that his friend needed him, he stopped talking with her to answer Tidus with another look. Gippal's look was the typical "go-on-talking-about-anything-and-don't-bother-me" look. After that, Gippal returned to talk with Rikku as if nothing had happened.

I didn't want to get into guy's topics, so I turned myself to my right, where Paine was talking with Baralai. I listened to their conversation, waiting for the moment in which I could intervene and, this way, be able to talk with them.

"So we can say that the RNAm is the copy of the genes." Baralai concluded. _Oh no, they're talking about biology._ It wasn't that I was a bad student, rather I was one more, but I didn't like to spend my break time talking about biology.

"Well, if it is so easy, then, why the teacher has spent more than a week talking about it?" Paine asked bored.

_It seems that this two are not going to talk about something else,_ I sighed and turned around. When I looked at Tidus again, I saw him eating his sandwich, but as soon as he noticed that I was back with him, he let his sandwich, swallowed and smiled at me.

"Well Tidus…How are you?" I asked. It was the first thing I could think.

"Oh, I'm ok. I've managed to join the blitzball team of the high school." Tidus said proudly.

"That's great. I'm sure that the team is better nowadays."

"Better?" Tidus asked confused.

"Yeah, when I was in the team, the trainer was a disaster and-"

"You play blitzball?!" Tidus exclaimed.

"I played, but I didn't like the training sessions. We didn't do anything, so I got out of the team. I thought you knew it." I explained. It was true that I had played blitzball, but I didn't get out because we didn't do anything, but because it was too hard for me.

"I have to play with you someday." Tidus said cheerful.

I just laughed. I felt better with him, so I started to talk about random things.

Ten minutes were short until the bell rang, and I continued talking with Tidus until someone pat me in the back. I turned around and I could see Seymur.

Seymur was a boy that was in some of my classes, and I could swear that he had a crush on Rikku and me.

"Yuna, are you going to Emma's party tonight?" Seymur asked me.

I didn't know if I should answer him or not because I knew that, if I answered him that I was going to the party, he would be all night with me, telling me how much he loved Rikku, or trying something with me.

"I don't think so. It's girl's night." I lied.

"What a pity, I had hope that we could be together tonight at party." He said and went away after he glanced Rikku and Gippal.

Tidus stared at me with a stupid grin, though it disappeared a few seconds later.

"So, you're not going to the party tonight?" Tidus asked me.

Before I could answer him the bell rang and everyone took their bags and went to their respective classes, though Tidus walked with me to my class, waiting for my answer.

"I want to go." I said. "But I know that if I go, Seymur won't let me alone."

"I don't know what's with him and Rikku and you. Can't he just choose one girl?" Tidus said and after a few seconds of silence he added. "Hey, I've got an idea. You can come to the party and I'll help you with Seymur."

His plan could work so I agreed, saying goodbye to him and going where Paine and Rikku were talking.

"Girls, we're going to Emma's party tonight." I informed to my friends.

"That's great!" Rikku yelled and took Paine's arm. "So Paine, what are you going to lend me for tonight?"

"Let go of my arm." Paine ordered. "And I'm not going to lend you anything. You have enough clothes."

That made Rikku anger but she couldn't say anything because the teacher come and the class started.

The Spanish class ended very quickly and it come the subject that I hated the most…MATHS.

In this class, Paine and Rikku sat down together, leaving me between Paine and Baralai, who had sat down to my side. Paine and Rikku were having one of their arguments because Rikku was trying to convince Paine to let her some clothes and Paine, as always, was refusing. I looked at Baralai and saw that he was completely absorbed in his thoughts. _Great, and with whom do I speak now?_

Since I didn't have anybody to talk with, I decided to try to pay attention to my dear teacher.

"Well class, today we're going to start to study limits, so pay attention." The teacher said. _Yes! I used to be good at this,_ I thought, but after the first minutes I realized that I wasn't good at that. I glance to Paine and Baralai's notebook and saw that they had the exercise finished and very clean. _Ok, I'm dumb._ As I made aware myself that I weren't going to understand anything, I decided to observe the class.

I looked first at Rikku. Rikku was paying attention and doing the exercise while she was dancing in her chair and murmuring the letter of a song. _And do they say that we women can do two things simultaneously? They haven't seen Rikku doing four._

I went on to my following object of study, Paine. I saw that, occasionally, she was looking out of the corner of her eye. At first I thought that she was looking at me and it thrilled me, because then, it was mean that Paine was worrying about me, but I looked better and saw that she wasn't looking at me but to Baralai. _She is looking at him! Then she will say that not, but I have caught her red-handed._ _I'll tell Rikku later._

When I saw Paine looking at Baralai, I had the curiosity for see if he also was looking at her, so I observed him discreetly. Nothing happened the first minutes and I was about to give up when I noticed something in Baralai. He was smiling. _Shit, he caught me_, I thought while I turned sharply doing that I was talking with Paine but then, what I saw surprised me even more. Paine was also smiling while she was looking at him. I had to admit that Paine had a nice smile, though she showed it in rare occasions. _Baralai have to feel lucky_. _Great, now they're smiling and looking at each other, but nobody notices me._

I looked at the other side of the class, where Tidus and Gippal were. Gippal was sat next to the wall, with his back against the wall, looking at the table where we, Baralai, Paine, Rikku and I were. I thought that he was looking at me so I smiled him like greeting, but he didn't answer me, so I looked at Rikku, that was giving the maximum thing that she could, singing and dancing in her chair while she was doing the exercise. I sighed seeing how invisible I was in that moment for most of my friends and…well…the guys, but I had a last opportunity... Tidus.

I looked at Tidus's head and concentrated in trying to influence him mentally. _TIDUS, pay me attention. TIDUS, turn yourself to me_. And for my surprise, he did it. _Yes! Someone who notices me_. I greeted Tidus in the same way as I had greeted Gippal, with a smile, and he returned it to me accompanied with a nod. With that, I was happy for the whole day.

I looked at Paine's clock and saw that the class was almost finished. _9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 … sound!_ _Finally_.

The teacher went out of the class quicker than others days and I decided to get up to speak with Tidus, but which was my surprise when I saw Nadhala sat in Tidus's table and speaking with him. I thought that Tidus wouldn't show interest but he disappointed me. I couldn't stand it enough, so I sat down in the place that Paine had left next to Rikku and waited until my uncle Cid come to class.

**END FLASHBACK**

I didn't want to be mad at Tidus, so I decided that that night I would act as normal as possible with him.

I wanted to impress him, for what I decided to go with a black dress and with a pair of black sandals with a bit heel.

I made up a little since I didn't want to go so showy, and went down to the lounge to wait for Paine and Rikku.

Paine was the second one in going down. She was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, a pair of black high (really high) heels, a red scarf tied in the waist of her trousers, and a red t-shirt that left her left shoulder to the air.

"Paine, are you wearing a bra?" I asked.

"WHAT?" Paine exclaimed flushing.

"I don't see the brace so I wonder…"

"Maybe it's because it is a bra without braces?" Paine asked sarcastically.

"Don't get mad." I laughed.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was time to go, with or without Rikku. We waited a few minutes more although. She lowered the stairs as if the stairs were a catwalk. She was taking a denim skirt with a pair of boots under her knees, and a pink shirt. She had her hair down with waves formed by her usual braids.

"Are you ready girls?" I asked happy.

"Of course!" Rikku yelled excited.

"Y"

"R"

"P. Seriously girls, we should leave." Paine said.

"Party pooper." Rikku murmured.

"Rikku, do you want me to hurt you?" Paine asked.

And after this great conversation, we left to the party. We decide to go on foot because it wasn't so far.

We arrived to the club after twenty minutes. The place was spectacular; there were music, food, drink and tables where people could sit down.

Everything had a marvellous looks and I was determined to have a good time.


	7. Chapter 7 - Paine POV

**Hello again! As always, I don't own Final fantasy; I'd really like if you review this story, and hope you'll enjoy it :)**

**(Paine)**

When we arrived to Emma's party, the atmosphere surprised me a lot, and I think that Yuna and Rikku were surprised as me.

I hadn't got any idea of what's wrong with Rikku, but whatever it is, she pretended to solve it drinking all the bottles of the bar. Yuna was next to me, smiling, though I thought she'd follow Rikku's example.

"Yuna, let's go and find some place where we could sit in."

"Bat Paine, this is a party, people don't sit in in a party, they dance, so dance Paine." She laughed.

"Well, yeah, but you're forgetting something. Most of this people have come here by car. We came on foot."

"We haven't walk that much. Paine, don't complain."

Her answer shocks me. I stared at her with wide eyes and then, I looked at my heels.

"You've made me run with these heels. I need a break."

"Yuna!" Somebody call her.

Yuna turned around and searched for the person who had called her. I followed her gaze and saw Seymur. _Oh god, what now?_

"Seymur." Yuna greeted him a bit uncomfortable.

Seymur come to us and started to talk with Yuna. I just looked at him and then at Yuna. My look said: "Are you sure you don't want to find a place where we could sit in?" Her look was the typical look that someone who has to do something that doesn't want puts, so I turned around and I went to the further table I could find. Just when I was to sit in, Nooj came and sit in it. _Damned_ _shoes! I can't run with them,_ I shouted to myself. I stopped there, thinking about my next plan when someone whistled. At the beginning, I ignored it because I never thought that someone was calling me. I continued looking for some place where I could sit in, but unfortunately, all the places where taken. _This is a party, people should be dancing._ Someone whistled again and I turned around to find where the whistle come from. I saw a person waving, but couldn't find out who was.

I fixed the sight and managed to see a platinum sparkle. Baralai. I didn't move, looking at him. It was true that that morning I had been with him in some classes, and that I had been speaking with him, but I was not sure of wanting to be with him in that moment.

I looked again at the table where Nooj was seated. In that moment I had two options: I could sit with Nooj, but I would have to hear him talking about nothing, or I could sit with Baralai and run the risk to get on with him better than he already did. _Maybe we could be just friends,_ I thought, so I smiled him and walked towards him.

"Paine."

"Baralai."

"I didn't know you would come to this party, if I had known it I would have waited for you outside." He said with a smile. He had a beautiful smile, his lips were thin and his teeth were perfect. I didn't know what I should say him. It is true that I'd like to see him awhile before, but I couldn't say that to him, so I just smiled shyly and looked at the table.

"You're really pretty tonight." Baralai said after awhile.

I looked at him and saw that he was looking at the table now. I laughed and thanked him, saying that he was nice too, although his clothes were very simple: a pair of blue jeans and I dark green shirt that stands out his dark skin.

After that, I saw Rikku take her phone, do something with it and then, put it in her "secret" pocket. What happened next surprised me a lot. Gippal walked towards Rikku, grabbed her and taking her to the dance floor. He waited until the song finished to put Rikku on the floor and then, danced with her the next one. They looked adorable. I found Yuna a few metres away from where Rikku and Gippal were dancing. She was trying to escape from Seymur, but he always followed her. _She deserves it._

"Why don't you dance, Baralai?" I asked.

Baralai stared at me before chuckle and rub the back of his neck.

"I can't believe you don't know dance!" I exclaimed surprised with a smile.

"I haven't said that." He smiled.

That let me without words. Firstly, because it was true, he hadn't said that, and also because his smile was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I looked at his smile for awhile, but didn't want him to feel embarrassed, so I turned to look at the dance floor again. The song had finished and Rikku was trying to escape from Gippal, but he always caught her and, at the end, the danced again together. I glanced at the door and saw Tidus, completely lost, so I looked around for Yuna and when our eyes met, I made her to look at the door. Now, Yuna had two options: she could stay with Seymur or she could go with Tidus. Neither of these options was pleasant to me, but Yuna chose the best one and went to greet Tidus. That annoyed Seymur, who let Yuna go and he went to the table where Nooj was, kicked him out. _Nooj, don't came here. No!_

"Who does he think he is?" He complained, sitting next to me.

Baralai seemed lost and looked at me.

"Seymur's kicked him out." I answered Baralai.

"Oh well, maybe Nooj, you could take advantage of it and socialize with the people on the dance floor, instead of being there alone." Baralai said.

"Oh, but I'm socializing now with you two." Nooj answered satisfied.

_Five, four, three, two, o- Wait. Why am I mad at?_ I thought.

Nooj started talking about something and I tried to pay him attention, but couldn't do it because I was trying to figure out why I was mad at. Finally, I realized why: I wanted to talk with Baralai alone, not with Nooj around us.

"Where have you been this morning Paine?" Baralai asked me, making me to come back from my thoughts.

"Yeah. I was perplexed when I didn't see you in chemistry." Nooj added.

"I've had an exam."

"And how was it?" Baralai asked me, again with that beautiful smile.

"Well, it wasn't a disaster, but it all depends on the teacher." I answered.

"That's true Paine, because maybe you think that…" Nooj started saying and I ignored him, turning my head to the dance floor.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Baralai covering his face with his hands while Nooj was talking. I laughed and Baralai looked at me.

Back to the dance floor, I noticed that Rikku and Gippal weren't there. I took my cell to send her a message, but I remembered she was with Gippal and maybe I could interrupt something. Thinking of them made me try to figure out what was between them, because they weren't dating but they had something…weird. I went on thinking about their relationship when someone grabbed my arm and took me to the bar.

"What the hell!" I exclaimed.

"I can't stand him more, and I'm not going to let you with him alone." Baralai shouted between laugher while he was trying to escape from Nooj, although Nooj always followed us. "Does he follow us?"

"What do you think?"

Baralai looked at Nooj, then, at the dance floor, which was jammed and finally at me. He didn't drop my arm. I looked at him confused until I realized what he was planning. I opened my mouth to complain about it but he said he was sorry and that I'd thank him after.

The song that was sounding was a cover of "I kiss a girl" from ATTACK ATTACK! It's a song that I really like, so I didn't really care the plan.

As Baralai predicted, the plan was success. Nooj didn't follow us, and we were dancing and laughing all time until a slow song started to sound. Baralai looked at be a bit flushed and I said him that I was tired, going to a table.

We sat together avoiding Nooj.

"I'm coming in a sec." Baralai said. "I'm going to order something to drink. What do you want?"

"Oh, anything you want." I answered, giving him a bill.

"Right. I'll be here in a sec." He said and went away without taking my bill.

I looked at him surprised but with a small smile. It was 1,30 am, and I hadn't seen Yuna or Rikku in awhile. _Fortunately it's Friday, I can stay here all night if I want._

"Yes, you help me to lose him." Someone laugh.

It was Yuna's voice. She couldn't see me because I was behind a pillar, but I could hear and see her. Yuna was with Tidus in a table near mine. _What?! This morning she was running away from him and now she sits with him?_

"Yuna, I want to tell you something." Tidus said.

Yuna stay quiet, looking at him and waiting.

"Well, you see, I-I-I usually don't act like this."

"How?" Yuna asked.

"You know, so confident with myself, so cocky, so- Well, as Gippal."

Yuna didn't know what to say.

"I just want you to know it. I don't want you to think that I something I'm not."

Yuna recovered her voice and answered him.

"And why you behave like that?" She asked with a smile.

"Cause Gippal told me. He said that if I behaved like him, I could have all the girls I want."

"And does it work?" Yuna asked.

"I don't know. Does it work with you?"

_WHAT?!_ I couldn't go on listening to the conversation because the person who I didn't want to see appeared in front of me.

"Paine!" Ikatch yelled near my ear, making me leap. "I called you yesterday." He smiled.

A year ago, I thought that his smile was the most beautiful thing in the world, but as I said, it was a year ago.

"I was studying."

"Oh well, but now you're here." Ikatch said sitting on Baralai's chair. "Tell me, how you've been?"

"Ikatch, that chair is taken. Go away." I ordered him coldly.

"Wow Paine, you're coldest now."

"I've told you to clear off." I repeated.

"I don't see anybody hereabout."

_Is he challenging me?_, but before I could answer him Baralai appeared.

"She told you she's busy and to clear off." Baralai said quiet but firm.

Ikatch stood up and moved closer to Baralai, trying to intimidate him, but Baralai looked at him challenging, without showing insecurity. Ikatch looked away and then, looked at me.

"I'll talk you later." Ikatch said to me and the he went away.

I looked at Baralai while he sat down and put the drinks on the table. I didn't want to talk about Ikatch so I gave him the bill again.

"Don't worry Paine. I want to invite you to this." He smiled.

"But Baralai, I don't want to owe you more things. I've already owe you a pack of cookies." I remembered him laughing, but he waved his hand meaning to forget about it and taking a sip of his drink.

It passed awhile of silence in which Baralai had his brown eyes fixed on me. At first, I didn't realize, but when I did, I looked down to my glass and started playing with the ice. _I'm sure he wants to talk about Ikatch._

"Paine." Baralai called me, knocking the table.

I looked at him and saw that, as I'd predicted, he wanted to talk with me about Ikatch.

"Since when were you listening?" I asked him and Baralai sighed.

"Since he sat down. I wondered if I should do something, but I know you don't let strangers to sit down with you, so I supposed you knew him."

"How do you know that of me?" I asked surprised.

"Because I've seen you in class." Baralai laughed.

This time I sighed. I gazed him and started to tell him everything about Ikatch, avoiding the part that he broke my heart.

"Well." He murmured. "I…Paine, you… Oh, fuck. I don't know what to say."

"Don't worry Baralai, it's okay." I answered. _But I'd like you to say something._

"Paine. You know you're a wonderful girl, right?"

I didn't expect that and I looked at him. His eyes told me he was serious.

"Thank Baralai. For everything." I smiled shyly.

"You don't have to thank me."

We looked at each other until I remembered that I'd lost a blond girl. I looked at Yuna's table and see that she'd gone.

"Baralai, have you seen my friends?"

Baralai looked around him and then shook his head. I took my cell to call them and found some missing calls from Rikku and Yuna and two messages. One's from Rikku, asking me where I was, and the other from Yuna, telling me they went to home.

"Okay, they're gone to home and forget about me." I said trying to pout.

"What are you going to do?" Baralai asked me.

"Go alone."

He looked at his watch before answered me.

"It's late, let's go."

Baralai walked with me to the door of the club.

When we were outside, I noticed that there wasn't any person in the street, but I didn't really care. I said goodbye to Baralai and walked to my house. I hadn't taken more that ten steps when Baralai appeared next to me, walking on my side. I looked at him confused and he answered me with a small smile.

We didn't talk during the way to my house, but it wasn't an awkward silence.

We arrived to the main door of my house and I turned around to look at him. A part of me didn't want anything to happen, but the other one wanted it. Baralai was looking at his shoes, with his hands in his pockets, but with a shyly smile. He looked so cute and I started laughing. He looked at me and laughed with me.

When we stopped, he put his hands out of his pockets.

"Good night Baralai."

"Good night Paine." Baralai answered, far enough of me.

I smiled him and entered to my home.

"Paine!" Rikku yelled me really angry. "How could you do that to him?"

I didn't know what she was talking about. _Does she spy on me?_ Rikku read my face and muttered something, picking her "rat".

"How could you lock Oscar in the kitchen?"

_Wait, all of this because of her rat?!_

"Rikku, your rat doesn't know that he cannot do his "things" in the house. I didn't want to came and find the house dirty." I answered her and sat down on the sofa, closing my eyes.

Rikku held her dog in her arms and sat down next to me.

"Where've you been tonight?" I asked her.

Rikku stayed quiet, something that strange me, so I opened one eye and looked at her. She was flushed and laughing.

"What has happened?" I asked her again.

"Nothing." Rikku laughed.

"And that's why you're laughing?"

"Night Paine." She said and went to her room with her dog.

I remained awhile in the sofa until I convinced myself that I had to go to my room. I passed in front of Yuna's room and remained there. _Shall I ask her also about tonight?_ I thought.

I called softly to her door to see if she was slept or not. After a few seconds, she appeared in the door and invited me to come.

"Paine, where were you? I was so worried."

"In the party, where you let me." I answered her.

"We've been looking for you but we didn't see you. Have you been all this time alone?" She asked me.

I remained silent, thinking if I should or not tell her that I'd been with Baralai all night.

"Paine?"

"No, I haven't been alone." I answered her smiling.

"What's that smile about? Who've you been with?" She went on asking.

"Well, at first I wanted to be alone, but I didn't found any place where I could sit in, so I found Baralai and sat with him. Then, Nooj appeared and…"

"Paine." Yuna called me seriously. "Do you like…Baralai? You know."

I looked at her in silence.

"Dammit." I answered finally.

"Oh Paine!" Yuna exclaimed happily, trying to embrace me.

"Yuna, stay away." I told her laughing.

Yuna nodded and stayed where she was. _Now it's my opportunity._

"Yuna, does it work?" I asked.

"What?" She asked me.

"To be so confident, so cocky, so…you know, so Gippal." I said laughing.

Yuna blushed and hit me with a pillow, turning her back to me and ignoring me, so I come out of her room and went to mine.

I put my pyjamas on and went to bed, looking at the ceiling. _Dammit, I like him._


	8. Chapter 8 - Rikku POV

**Okay, so hi everyone. I know I told you that I'll update on Thursday, but the last chapter didn't get so many views, so I thought that maybe the views could rise with a new chapter, so here's it. Maybe I'll update another chapter this Friday or this weekend. **

**Hope you like this chapter, and read, if you don't want to review don't do it, but read at least. ^^" CU!**

**(Rikku)**

"Gippal!" I yelled surprised.

Gippal had got close to me and taken me in his arms in order to make me dance with him.

"Let me go! I don't wanna dance. Gippal, no. LET ME GO!"

Unfortunately, speak with Gippal when he has an idea in mind is like to speak with a wall: no answers, no listen, no anything; so I gave up on making him to let me go. It seems that the gentleman didn't like the song that was sounding, though neither did I, for what he waited to the following song. When the following song started Gippal let me on the floor and started dancing.

At first, I was very ashamed to dance with him because most of the girls of the party were looking at us, though they looked at me with hate, disgust, disapproval … I was ready to run away, but Gippal read that in the expression of my face, so he moved much closer to me, so that I couldn't escape. I looked at him, begging him to let me go, and in that moment I saw, for the first time in the night, his expression. He had a relaxed face, his eye was shining and he always had a smile.

But of course, I am Rikku, a teenager with revolutionized hormones, so when I saw his sweaty and beautiful face, my mind started daydreaming with … well, with Gippal and … well, Gippal. Meanwhile, my body had decided to relax and dance. When my mind returned to the real world, Gippal and I were dancing like crazy, laughing, looking at each other and jumping.

After dancing several songs, Gippal started guiding me out of the dancing floor, towards the outside of the club. Once out, we looked at each other again and, without losing the smiles, began to walk.

"It's been too long since the last time we were alone together." Gippal said while he walked.

"Yeah, too long." I answered with pity. "The last time was at the end of August."

"It was great summer, you know?"

"It was. Do you remember the day at the market?"

"When we had to run away?" He asked chuckling.

"We didn't have to run away."

"Rikku, you fell on a fruit stand."

"It was your fault." I said pouting.

"Are you suggesting that it was ALL my fault?" He said pouting too.

"I'm not suggesting it, I'm affirming it." I answered him smiling.

"Oh come on Rikku, I didn't do anything. It was your entire fault. I was trying to take a ladybird from your hair."

"You said it was a grasshopper!" I said with wide eyes.

Gippal laughed when he remembered that day. That day when I fell on a fruit stand and we had to escape.

"You had your hair with pieces of fruit and juice." Gippal said nostalgic.

"It took me a week to take off all the fruit." I answered with a smile.

Gippal didn't do any other comment until we come at the end of the street. The sights were amazing; you could see the city lit by the lights.

" Those were good time." Gippal commented while he looked at the city.

"Yeah."

The temperature had gone down enough and a blouse was not sheltering sufficiently, so it was obvious that I was shivering. _Rikku, indeed, you are "too intelligent" for this world, you know that at night the temperature goes down. Stupid, stupid, stupid …_

"Are you cold?"

"Who? Me? Well, I would lie if I tell you that not because I don't want to cause you any trouble, but I'm so cold because I'm so stupid that I don't take a jacket..." I said fast.

"Rikku, relax. Breath." Gippal told me while he held my hands.

"I'm feeling a bit dizzy. You're question was…" I asked and he gave me his jacket while he chuckled.

We remain enough time without saying anything, only contemplating the city. The truth is that I was boring enough but didn't want to say anything not to bother Gippal, for what I tried to wait quiet until he finished. It turns out difficult to do it if it is a question of me, Rikku, hyperactive, infantile, optimistic … anyhow I tried it and it worked, but I got bored five minutes before. Therefore, I decided to remember the last summer with Gippal. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He seemed absolved in his thoughts while he was looking at the city. Maybe he was remembering the last summer too: the day on the market, the day of the picnic, the day of the swimming pool, the day of the lake, the day of Luca, the day of … Wait a moment! I … I … not … didn't visit … any lake last summer … _I hope he doesn't visit one with anyone… Please Gippal, don't think about any lake! Please, please, please… _Bip Bip Bip Bip.  
_No way, is this all that a dream?_ _I would swear that my alarm clock doesn't sound like that, it is more like: RIKKU, YOU HAVE A MINUTE TO GO OUT OF THIS BED!_

"You're not going to read it?" Gippal asked.

"Read what?"

"Message. Cell." He said coping the prehistorically speech.

Doing that, I couldn't avoid laugh. When I recovered myself and could breathe again, I took my cell to read the message and it started sounding. It was Yuna.

"Yunie? Aha. Right. Got it. Yeah. I'll call you. Bye." I said and finished the call.

"It was the most disinterested call I've ever heard." Gippal said looking at me.

"It was Yuna."

"I think it was her since the first time you said: Yunie. You have to go already?"

'_Already' Wow that sounds like: 'I want you to stay a little bit more.' Good job girl, yeah! Uh uh uh. And now the victory dance!_

"Rikku, what are you laughing at?"

_Shit, I was in the middle of a conversation._

"Nothing. I've just remembered something."

"Could you share it?"

_No, no, no I can't share it. I was laughing because of your 'already'. How can I share that? Breathe Rikku, again you are going away of the topic. You have to give him a rapid answer. Think, think … NOT! Act, Act._

"Hakuna-matata." I yelled.

"Sorry?"

"I'm sharing. I've just remembered that word and…well…" I explained.

"Rikku, how much have you drunk?" Gippal asked me.

"Just…one?" I said while I was counting with my fingers how many drinks I had had.

I couldn't remember the number of drinks I had, so, for frustration, I stamped my foot on the ground, but the cosmic order of the universe didn't appreciate it very much, because I stamped my foot on a rock, making me to fall down.

"Definitely, you're not okay Rikku." Gippal said laughing while he help me to stood up.

"And what about you?" I asked a bit annoyed.

"Me?" Gippal asked.

"Yeah, how much have you drunk?"

"Just two drinks and, as you can see, I perfectly." He answered me.

"Meanie."

"Come on, I'll take you home." He said smiling.

"I've got to call Paine before."

"Okay, can you do it for yourself or do you need any help?"

"I can do it." I said sticking out my tongue. _Nice Rikku, you look so mature right now._

Paine didn't pick up her cell, so I called Yuna. She said that she was trying to locate her for one hour ago but it was impossible, so Yuna had sent her a message saying to Paine that she was going away, but that I still was in the party. After hanging Yuna, I wrote a message to Paine saying that I was going away too and I put my cell in the "secret pocket" of my blouse.

While we were going down towards my home, the temperature was obvious much lower, so Gippal's jacket wasn't enough to mitigate my cold. It seems that Gippal caught the signs of "Rikku has cold" because the following thing that he did was to enclose me in his arms. At first I was very tense, but little by little I was feeling very comfortable.

Gippal and I were talking about last summer all the way, but this time there were no signs of nostalgia. We were laughing and teasing each other.

We parted when we arrived to the main door of my home and we were one in front of the other. I felt sad. Why he couldn't embrace me a bit more? Why?!

"As the all time, huh." Gippal said.

"It's only been four months since summer." I said as I didn't know what he was talking about, but I did. Gippal was talking about the summer nights that we met to take a walk around the village. When it was time for me to go home, he always accompanied me to my uncle's house to, according to him, made sure that I was safe and sound in my uncle's house and that I could met him the next night.

"Thanks, Gippal." I said while I took off his jacket.

"Why? I haven't done anything."

"I've got a good time tonight. It's remembered me about the nights we used to spend in Kilika."

"Well, you don't have to thank me. I always like to be with you." Gippal said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Good night Gippy." I said and gave him a peck on the cheek. I shouldn't do that because it made us blush.

"Good night princess." He said, giving me another peck on the cheek.

I gave him his jacket and entered to my home. Yuna had arrived a few minutes ago and she was in her pajama already. I went to the kitchen to take a glass of water and I found Oscar running in circles.

"Oscar! What's wrong?" I asked and when my dog heard my voice, he run towards me. I picked him up. "Have you been all night here?" I asked again and Oscar barked, which mean that I was right. "I'm sure Paine is the one to blame." I said and my little dog barked again. "Oh, don't worry; I'll take care of it."

I let Oscar on the floor with the door open, so he could go out of the kitchen. When I came to the lounge I saw Paine in the sofa.

"Paine! How could you do that to him?"

Paine didn't answer me and she looked confused so I decided to precise.

"How could you lock Oscar in the kitchen?" I asked her again, picking Oscar up.

"Rikku, your rat doesn't know that he cannot do his "things" in the house. I didn't want to came and find the house dirty."

_Is that all her reasons? But Oscar knows that he has to do his thing out of the house, but sometime…well…sometimes he forgot it._ I sat down next to Paine.

"Where have you been tonight?" Paine asked me with her eyes closed.

Fuck. I didn't know if I wanted to tell her o not. I didn't feel ashamed, but I knew Paine, and I knew that if I told her about my perfect night with Gippal, she would make it looks ridiculous. Wait, perfect night? I must accept that I always felt good with Gippal, but that night…

"What has happened?" Paine asked me again and this time, she was looking at me.

"Nothing."

"And that's why you're laughing?" _Okay Rikku, you have to stop to laughing in front of the people._

"Good night Paine." I answered and went to my room.

Once in my room, I closed the door, put Oscar on the floor and turned on my computer. The truth was that that day I was happy enough, so I put my songs of happiness. I changed to the pajamas with "Just the way you are", I gathered the clothes with "Applause" and continued dancing and singing with the rest of songs. I was feeling so happy!

When I got tired, I lowered the volume and lay down on the bed. At that moment I started to remember Gippal's and mine farewell that night. We used our nicknames again. Wow. The last time was the day he left Kilika. The truth was that tonight, Gippal had behaved himself marvelously, he had made me feel really comfortable, and he had taken care of me when I fell down, and when he saw how much I had drunk.

Oscar started to fell asleep, so I took him to his basket in front of my bed. I was also quite sleepy, it was 3.00am, so I turned off the computer, opened the bed, tucked up myself and turned off the lights.

"Sweet dreams Oscar."


	9. Chapter 9 - Yuna POV

**I know I said I would update yesterday, but I have a horrible week, with a lot of exams and homework, but here's the chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it ^^ Maybe I'll update next Thursday. As always, read and (if you want) review. **

**(Yuna)**

We arrived at Emma's party and I spent some time arguing with Paine. She wanted to sit down, but I wanted to show off in front of a certain pea brain.

" Yuna." Someone called me. I turned around and found myself in front of Seymour. _Shit, shit, shit._

"Seymour." I greeted him. I turned to look at Paine begging her to stay, but Paine wasn't willing to bear Seymour... _Damn you Paine_.

Seymour was talking to me and dancing. He wouldn't let me go. I thought I could take advantage of the situation and started to look for Tidus in the club while dancing with Seymour, but there was no sign of him. _Stupid pea brain_.

"I need to go to the bathroom." I told Seymour, and went to wait in the queue for the toilets.

I needed to be isolated from all the noise only a few minutes, but the queue wasn't moving. I leaned against the wall to my left and squinted my eyes, thinking how ridiculous I was to want to impress a guy that had a lot of girls behind him.

I noticed someone calling me and opened my eyes to meet Lenne.

"Lenne!" I shouted and gave her a big hug.

Lenne was a girl from the high school and I liked her pretty well.

"Yuna, you look tired." Lenne said.

"Oh, don't worry. I just need to go to the bathroom but the queue doesn't advance."

"Are you okay?" Lenne asked me with concern.

"What? No. I'm fine. It's just that I need to be a minute away from the noise and Seymour."

"I thought something was wrong." Lenne sighed with relief.

Lenne looked at the queue for the bathroom while biting her lip. After several minutes she turned to me with a mischievous smile and gave me her jacket.

"Here." She told me. "Put it."

"Why? I'm not hot." I said confused.

"Trust me." She said and I did what she told me. Then, Lenne began to fill my belly with a kilometer scarf. _How did she put it around her neck?_

"Lenne?" I asked scared and she grabbed me by the wrist.

"Make away!" Lenne shouted as she was pushing off some of the girls of the queue. "Female emergency! She's pregnant!"

I blushed like a tomato, but we had managed to get to the bathroom. I couldn't believe what Lenne had just done.

"Uh ... uh ... thanks, Lenne." I said.

"Nothing to, Yuna." Lenne said with a smile.

I nodded and got into a cubicle. I breathed several times trying to reassure me._ Why do I bother? Surely Nadhala is with Tidus right now, all because she's blonde. I hate blonde! I mean all blondes except Rikku, of course, and Paine, but Paine is rather an ash blonde ... or is she brunette?_

"Yuna?" Lenne asked me from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine now." I said and left the cubicle. I gave her her jacket and scarf and I went to the dance floor again, where I had left Seymour.

Arriving at the dance floor with Seymour, I searched for Rikku to see how she was doing the night but there was no sign of her. Then I looked to Paine. Our eyes met. _Maybe I can do as I did today with Tidus and speak through our minds. Paine, I hate you, you're a bad friend ... No response ..._ Paine then made me a nod to look toward the door and there I saw my beloved pea brain. I looked at Seymour and then went back to look at Tidus to make sure he wasn't going. I smiled and ran to greet Tidus.

"Tidus!" I cried as I approached him.

"You've came Yuna." Tidus said smiling.

"Well, yes ... We agreed that, right?"

"Of course." Tidus said and we looked at each other for a while. I didn't know what to think about Nadhala because if he was with her, he wouldn't have told me to meet him tonight. "You are amazing." Tidus said after a while.

I blushed at his comment. _He likes my clothes and I managed to get her attention. Yes!_

"Do you want to dance or drink something?" Tidus asked doubtful.

"I've been dancing all night, but I think I could dance a little more with you." I said with a wink and pulling him towards the door.

We danced a couple of pop songs, but I was too tired and couldn't dance as long as I would have liked. While I was on the dance floor I tried to look for Rikku again, but there was no sign of her. I looked at Paine, who was sitting with Baralai and Nooj. Baralai suddenly pulled her and were lost in the crowd. _Great, now I've lost Paine too._

"Tidus, haven't you come with Gippal?" I asked. I knew that Rikku would be happy to see him, but not to talk to him.

"Gippal has come before me." Tidus answered .

_Sorry? And where is he?_ I thought. Then I realized the situation. _Yuna, you don't have to be a genius in math to know where Gippal and Rikku are_.

"Yuna." Tidus crooned, making me to pay him attention.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Do you want to sit then?" Tidus asked and I nodded.

We approached to the bar for a few drinks and then sat at a table.

"Yuna." Tidus began to say. "I have to tell you something."

I was quiet, waiting for what he had to tell me.

"You see, I ... I don't usually act like that." Tidus said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"You know, so confident, so cocky, so...so Gippal.

I didn't know what to say.

"I just want you to know it. I don't want you to think that I something I'm not." Tidus said, then, I regained my voice.

"Why do you act like that then?" I asked.

"Because Gippal told me. He said that if I acted like that I could have any girl I wanted."

"And does it work?" I asked but I regretted immediately.

"I don't know. Does it work with you?" Tidus asked shyly.

I don't know what to say…again. Tidus was expecting an answer and I didn't know what to say. He was cute, but I didn't like him for his behaviour.

"Well, let say you're not doing the opposite effect." I said blushing.

"So it's working?" Tidus asked excited.

"I haven't said that neither. Why do people say things I haven't said?" I laughed.

Tidus laughed nervously and we started talking about blitzball while we returned to the dance floor.

We were dancing longer than before. I was having very good time, but then I remembered that my cousin was gone. I picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"Rikku. I don't know where you are, but I'm not calling you to find out. I'm going to go home in a while. And you?"

"No." Rikku said coldly.

"Well, I think Paine is at the party, when you decide to go, leave her a message or call her. See you at home." I said and cut her off.

"Are you leaving?" Tidus asked me. I had forgotten he was there.

"In a while. I'm so tired today." I smiled.

"You want me to come with you?" He asked with a shy smile.

"No need. I'll go by myself."

"Do not worry, it caught me on my way." Tidus said as he pushed me to the main door of the club.

"But you live in the opposite direction." I said.

"Yeah ... but ... well ... I'm going to spend the night at my grandparents house." Tidus replied and pulled me to my house.

I said goodbye to Tidus with a simple "goodbye" and went into my house. _Idiot, you could have given him a hug or something ... Well, at least he's not with Nadhala_, I thought and went to my room to put on my pajamas. Shortly after, Rikku came, and an hour after Rikku, Paine appeared.

Paine was downstairs talking with Rikku about something and then she went up to my room. I told her I was a little worried about her and we were talking about our night. She finished "admitted" that she liked Baralai. _I knew it, I knew it. I have to tell Rikku._ I tried to make Paine to tell me something more about her night but she refused and instead she started to mess with me.

"Does it work, Yuna?" She asked with a wicked grin.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, to be so confident, so cocky, so... so Gippal." Paine said and began to laugh out loud.

_She spied me!_, I thought as I turned red as a tomato and turned, giving her my back. I didn't want to answer her. I didn't want her to laugh at me or Tidus.

After a while I hear how she left my room and I breathed relief. I lay on my back and looked at the bright stickers in the ceiling of my room until I fell asleep.

_My dear pea brain_.


	10. Chapter 10 - Paine POV

**Okay, I know I told you I'll update on Thursday, but believe me I had a horrible week, full of exams and a lot of work to do. I know I'm a terrible person, but here's the chapter. I promise you I'll update next Saturday. Please, read and enjoy it.**

**(Paine)**

I woke up after a long sleep. I looked at my watch and saw it was in the afternoon. _This is what happens when you party all night, Paine_. I left my room with my "pajamas" that were a T-shirt and yoga pants.

I went to the kitchen for a glass of water and there I met Oscar. When he saw me, he ran to me and started jumping around me.

"Oscar,stop!" I cried, not understanding how that dog was glad to see me after all the things I've done. I picked him up and leaned against the kitchen counter. I was petting Oscar and didn't realize that someone had come to the kitchen.

"What have we here?"

I lifted my head with a surprised look and pulled down Oscar, who was excited to hear the voice of his owner.

"Paine, watch out!"

"Rikku. I'm sorry, you've startled me."

"What were you doing with Oscar, hmm?" She asked with a smile. "Oh, I knew that deep down you love him."

"Excuse me?" I said giving her a look of disgust. "He's just came to greet me and I was getting nervous."

"Whatever." Rikku responded with a smile.

She sat down on a kitchen chair and began to eat a bowl of cereal.

"Rikku, have you noticed what time it is? Wait until dinner." I said removing the bowl of cereal.

"But I'm hungry!"

"Take an apple then."

Rikku looked at me with wide eyes and seeing that I wouldn't change my mind, she grabbed an apple.

"Rikku." I called her.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to tell me where you got yesterday?"

"He he he, well, as you'll see ..." She said, and began to tell me everything that happened last night with Gippal. When she finished, she was a bit flushed. _Is she embarrassed or something?_

"Rikku, if you like him, why don't you do something?"

"Who told you that I like him?" My friend laughed nervously.

"Rikku, I'm not blind." I replied, sitting on a chair in front of her.

I waited for her answer for a moment as she looked down at the table.

"Rikku!" I exclaimed, tired of waiting.

"Paine, is Gippal who we are talking about."

I must recognize that Gippal was an attractive guy, but once he opened his mouth, for me, he lost all his charm, although most of the girls trailed by his physique.

"Rikku, I know that Gippal has a reputation as a womanizer and all, but think about it, if you were for him just another girl he wouldn't act as he acts with you."

"What?" Rikku smiled.

"What is it?" Yuna asked who appeared in the kitchen and joined our conversation. After explaining briefly what we were talking about, Yuna sat between both of us and intervened.

"Rikku, Gippal does nothing more than keep track of you. At the party, he could have danced with many of the other girls around him and yet, he wanted to be with you. He even picked you up to make you stay."

"I know it, but..." Rikku said.

"Also, if he wasn't interest in you, after seeing that in the summer nothing happened, he would desist."

Yuna nodded and we looked at Rikku waiting for her reply. _She keeps hiding something_. I went to talk to her but then the doorbell rang.

"Paine, go you, you're standing." Rikku said smiling.

"No, I don't expect anyone." I said, still standing up.

"Paine, go see who it is." Yuna added.

"You two want to know who it is but no one moves." I said a little angry as the doorbell rang again.

My friends looked at me and nodded but not moving.

I opened the door to see who it was and closed instantly, returning to the kitchen and sitting in my chair.

"Who was that?" Rikku asked.

"No one." I answered and the person of the other side of the door knocked again.

"Then, why they call back, hmm?" Rikku asked as she stood up and opened the door.

I knew who the person was, but I thought if I told Yuna that Seymour was the one who was at the door, perhaps I nagged day.

"Yunie!" Rikku screamed.

Yuna went to the door confused and I leaned on the kitchen door.

"Seymour." Yuna greeted him somewhat uncomfortable.

"Yuna, we have to go and study the history exam, remember?" Seymour said.

Yuna looked at Rikku and then at me, waiting for some help. I didn't like Seymour, and if I had my way, I'd close the door, but unfortunately, Yuna is not like me, so she told him to wait a few minutes in the living room while she was getting ready.

Seymour entered to our home and Oscar began to bark.

"Oscar, stop!" Rikku said as she took her dog in her arms. "Sorry Seymour, but he doesn't like strangers.

"I get it." Seymour said with the most fake smile I've ever seen.

Rikku went upstairs to leave there Oscar, so I was alone with Seymour. I didn't like at all that guy. After a few minutes, Yuna came and went with him to the library.

I tided up the kitchen and went to my room ready to do nothing, when I passed Rikku's room I saw that Rikku was dressed and makeup.

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked curiously.

It seems that she didn't expect me to be there because the sound of my voice startled her.

"I'll take Oscar to a walk."

"Dressed like that?" I asked looking at her.

"Paine, a girl always has to go with style." She said and grabbed Oscar as she left the room.

I heard as she closed the door.

I grabbed my computer and I went to the living room. I lit a small lamp and started to work on some of the homework Cid sent me to raise my marks while listening to Blink- 182 and Pierce the Veil.

It had been an hour and I was very focused at work when the doorbell rang. I looked up from my computer screen and I got up to open the door. As I thought it might be Yuna or Rikku, I left the door open, so that they closed it when they entered. I sat down on the couch and started to work again, but a knock on the front door caught my attention.

"It's open." I said without taking my eyes off the screen.

"Paine." Someone called me.

My heart started beating really fast when I looked up and saw Baralai and Tidus in the door of my house.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in surprise. The truth is that I was glad to see Baralai, although I couldn't say the same of Tidus.

"Tidus wanted to visit Yuna." Baralai explained with a smile.

I looked at Tidus, who was distracted watching the house.

"Yuna 's gone to study in the library." I replied.

It seems that drew the attention of Tidus, who looked at me frightened while hiding behind Baralai. His reaction made me and Baralai laugh.

"Tidus, Yuna is not here." Baralai said with a smile. When I saw his smile, I remembered how I had felt the night before with him, which made me smile.

"I think she will be here in an hour, you can wait her inside if you want." I invited. _Paine? Are you sure?_

"Tidus?" Baralai asked, waiting for him to decide. Tidus looked Baralai, thinking the answer and finally agreed.

I took them to the lounge and offered something to drink and eat. Baralai rejected my offer, but Tidus accepted without a second thought. When I brought the things to Tidus, I grabbed my laptop and closed it because my parents taught me it was rude to ignore your houseguests. I sat on the couch that was next to where Tidus and Baralai were.

"Are you alone?" Baralai asked me.

"Yeah. Yuna has gone to studying with Seymour and Rikku has gone with Oscar to a walk, but I don't think that dog needs to stay out so long."

"Seymour?" Tidus asked.

"No. Rikku's dog, Oscar." I repeated.

"No, I mean, Yuna is with Seymour?" Tidus asked again.

"They have to study a history exam." I explained to Tidus.

Tidus looked Baralai, who stared at him with a raised eyebrow. It seemed that Tidus didn't like the idea of Yuna being with Seymour, so I grabbed my phone and went to the kitchen to call Yuna.

"Yuna, where are you?" I asked when she picked up the phone.

"I'm still in the library."

"Are you okay?"

"Wait a second." She said and, after several minutes of silence, she spoke again. "Now we can talk."

"Is something wrong?" I asked a little worried.

"Seymour isn't let me go."

"What about he isn't letting you go? Yuna, if you want to go, you go."

"But I can't do that, think how he would feel."

"Yuna ..." I muttered. I looked out the kitchen door and saw that Tidus was talking a little angry with Baralai, who heard him quiet. "Don't move. I'll help you." I said and hung up the call, returning to the lounge and sitting on the couch again.

"Tidus, Yuna is not over yet, but it's late. Why don't you go and bring her home? I'm sure she wouldn't say no to you."

Tidus looked at Baralai and then at me and he nodded. I told him where Yuna was and ran he toward the library. I turned and looked at Baralai, who had risen from the sofa and was staring at me with his hands in his pockets.

"I think I should go." He said without looking at me.

"You can stay for a while if you want, I don't care." _Actually I'd love you to stay_.

Baralai looked at me surprised and smiled as he sat down again, but this time, he sat next to me. We stared each other in silence for a while.

"Where's Gippal?" I asked. _Do you care? You are with Baralai!_

"Gippal ? Well, you see, he has bought a dog and has gone for a walk with him."

"A dog? I didn't know he liked dogs. But…well, I don't know anything about him or anyone." I laughed.

"Can you keep a secret, Paine?" Baralai asked smiling. "Actually, he has bought a dog to meet Rikku."

_Sorry!?_

"Baralai, does Gippal liked Rikku?" I asked without hesitation. I hated that people who went round and round a subject to ask a simple question.

Baralai looked hesitant before answering me.

"Hasn't Rikku told you anything about her summer?"

"Well, she told me that she coincided with Gippal and spent the summer with him, but nothing more."

Baralai laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, let's say something happened between them."

I was willing to force him to tell me everything he knew when my phone vibrated. Yuna had sent me a message: "THANKS!" I smiled seeing that my plan had worked out, but when I looked up, I saw Baralai starring at me confused so I told him my plan.

"So, you have sent Tidus to pick up Yuna because Seymour didn't leave her alone? If I were Seymour, I would be really mad at Tidus and Yuna."

"Exactly, but he will leave her alone. I know all of you think I don't care about anyone but me, but I really do." I said.

It was true. I knew people thought that about me, but it wasn't true. It was true that I didn't show much affection to my friends, but I care about them. Baralai said nothing, he just stood in silence. I looked through my lashes and I noticed he was biting his lip, as if debating something in his head. _Come on Baralai, say something!_

"Who cares about you?" He asked after a long silence as he moved closer to me. _Oh my…_

A few months ago, I would have move away from him and kick his ass, but that time, I didn't want to do anything. I wanted to get swept up in the moment. Baralai moved closer to me again as I stared into his eyes. We were a few inches from each other, and we both knew what could happen. It was my last chance to avoid it, but as I said, I wanted to get swept along, so I closed a little the space between us. This surprised Baralai that moved away confused. _No! Please Baralai…_ I was confused; he wasn't supposed to move away. I tried to understand why he had moved away when Baralai closed the space between us completely.

It wasn't a long kiss, although it wasn't short. It was simple, gentle and shy. His lips caressing mine. _Oh my…he's so sweet._ Time stopped and everything except both of us disappeared. I was given better kisses, but none gave me the same feeling that this kiss. I picked his bottom lip with my lips and moved much closer to him until I sat in his lap.

I didn't want it to end, but nothing lasts forever. We parted slowly, without looking away from each other. _How he could have such sweet lips?_ I felt my face hot and probably I was blushing, though Baralai was the same. I didn't know what to say. It was true that I liked him, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to start a relationship. I was scared.

"Paine , I ..." Baralai began to say.

"Sorry Baralai, I shouldn't have done that." I said.

"No, don't apologize. I'm the one who shouldn't have started ..." Baralai said, but he couldn't finish the sentence because I shut up him with a little kiss. _Paine?! What the hell are you doing?_ I looked confused and saw that he was as confused as me. _Paine. Well, you have already separated from him; now don't do anything like that again. Yuna or Rikku can catch you and they begin to ask,_ I thought, and I was right, but it was too late. Baralai was looking at something behind me. I followed his gaze and met with Rikku, Yuna, Tidus and Gippal in the front door. They had open mouths and on their faces an expression of surprise and confusion. Baralai put his hand on my back, trying to calm me down, although the effect was the opposite. My heart started beating really really fast.

"Are we interrupting something, Baralai?" Gippal asked with a stupid grin. _I'll kill you Gippal._

"Paine ..." Yuna muttered.

"Oh my God!" Rikku cried jumping and running towards us with Oscar in her arms.

_Fuck, fuck and fuck._


	11. Chapter 11 - Rikku POV

**(Rikku)**

"Oufff! Why didn't I pull over the blind! AAAHHHH!"

After five minutes of argue with myself, I came to the conclusion that it wouldn't go back to sleep. Also, my stomach was demanding my attention, so I got out of bed, but silly me. I did it with such energy that my head started to complain and I almost fell to the ground.

_Mental note: don't drink more than 2 drinks at the next party_.

I searched my slippers at home everywhere, but I didn't find them. I gave up after several minutes and went to the kitchen, where I saw it. One of my koala shoes was in the hallway.

"Where have you put the other slipper, Oscar?" I whispered, not wanting to wake my friends.

My stomach still complained, so I didn't give more importance to the slipper and went to the kitchen where I could hear Oscar barking with joy. When I walked I couldn't help but be amazed.

"What have we here? I said with a sharper voice.

Automatically, Paine looked surprised and struck Oscar, who fell to the ground, but was too excited to see me that was unfazed.

"Paine, be careful." I said when I saw my dog in the air.

"Rikku, sorry, you startled me."

I knew didn't mean to do that. As much as she hated Oscar, she would never hurt him.

"What were you doing with Oscar in your arms, hmmm?" I asked with a smile from ear to ear. "Oh, I knew that deep down you wanted him." I said as I took my dog in my arms.

"Excuse me? He has just come to greet me and I was getting nervous." She said, trying to sound cold, but failed to hide the sweetness with which she looked at Oscar. But Paine did not want to feel uncomfortable or something, so I didn't say anything more.

"Yeah, whatever." I answered as I prepared a bowl of cereal. I was hungry! But just as I was about to take my first spoonful of cereal, Paine took my bowl.

"Rikku, have you noticed what time it is? Wait until dinner."

"But I'm hungry!"

"Well, take an apple then, but not a bowl of cereals because you won't eat at dinner." _Shit, she's right._

It was useless to argue with Paine, so I grabbed an apple. When I was about to leave the kitchen Paine called me. I wanted to tell her everything that had happened the night before with Gippal . The truth is that at first I was very ashamed, but Paine is one of my best friends.

I told her everything that happened the night before. From my story, Paine could tell my feelings for Gippal, but I couldn't admit my true feelings for him, but neither denied them.

Meanwhile, Yuna had just risen and see us talking. She wanted to know what happened, so I had to tell again what happened the night before. As my friends gave me some advices and opinions about Gippal's feelings, someone knocked at the door. It was Seymour, but as he didn't come to see me, I went to my room to get ready and take Oscar for a walk.

I think I changed my clothes six times since none convinced me, very formal, very casual, very sporty, very showy , a lot of clothes , scantily clad ...

"AAHHH!" I yelled.

Finally, I decided to wear a pair of jeans and a yellow jacket.

When I arrived at the lounge, I saw Oscar barking at Seymour. So I quickly catch Oscar and get him out.

"Be quiet Oscar."

While Oscar and me walked, I decided to go to my father's house to talk to him about what had happened in class the other day. Upon arriving home, Oscar started to be very happy and jumping around my father.

"Hello Dad."

"Hey girl. Look who we have here." My father said while playing with Oscar.

"You see… I wanted to talk to you."

"It isn't about what happened in class yesterday, is it?" _Well, he knows me_.

"Well, the truth is that ..."

"I listened what you said and I corrected my mistake."

"It isn't that, dad. The thing is that you didn't recognize me that I was right."

"All of this is because I didn't recognize you were right?" He said laughing.

"Well ... yes ... of course ..."

"Listen carefully, kiddo, if I don't recognize you those little details, it's because I know that you know more than you think. You have enough knowledge to destroy that problem and you know it."

"Destroy the problem?" I asked with much confusion.

"Do you really think I'd do that simple problem without seeking anything else?"

"Man, that one wasn't easy. You saw that there were people who didn't understand it and...

"Rikku. Look at the problem carefully."

"I looked at it, Pops. I didn't see ..."

"Look with high concentration and you'll find out what I mean."

I looked at him with confusion. What the hell did he mean? Moreover, I was shocked. Had my father said that about me? I mean, he really had me as someone smart? That was something I didn't expect. After spending a while with him, I went home. It was almost dinner time and my stomach didn't have enough with an apple.

"Pops, I gotta go."

"Okay."

"Goodbye Pops, I love you."

"I love you too Rikku."

When we left his home, Oscar was much quieter, and after he did his "needs", we went to our house. And right at the door...

"Gippal?"

"Hmm? Rikku!"

"What are you doing here?"

"We were walking and, well ..." Gippal said while scratching his neck. I looked at Oscar and saw him playing with another dog.

"I didn't know you had a pet." I said as I bent down to pet the dog. "Have you seen, Oscar? Now you have a new friend."

"Hehehehe ... Mmm, Rikku, I wanted to talk to you." Gippal said quite seriously.

"Well, will you come inside and talk" I said pointing at the door.

"No ... not yet."

"Well, tell me Gippal. What do you need?"

"Rikku ... I ... well, we ... summer ..." He began to say but didn't finish any sentence as he seemed quite nervous.

"Gippal. Take a deep breath and tell me what you have to say" I said reassuringly him.

"Okay, I'll try." He said while doing what I said.

"Rikku, from this summer I've been keeping something and I can't keep it anymore." Gippal said while he took my hands. "Every time I see you it's much harder." He began to approach me. "But it is much more difficult when we're…" The distance between us was minimal.

"Gippal ..."

"Shh ... let me finish please." Gippal said as he let go of my hands and grabbed my waist.

"But..."

"Only two words, please." He said, coming up to me. "I love you." And immediately, he kissed me.

It was the most romantic kiss somebody had given me. It was sweet, soft, lovely, but above all, it was a real kiss, with true feelings. Gradually, we were breaking the kiss. I was flushed and his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. I dared not to look at him, I was very ashamed, so I lowered my head. Then he gently lifted my chin.

"Well? What did you want to say?" Gippal asked me with his mischievous smile.

"I love you." I said with another smile. And thereupon we kissed again, this time with less shyness.

After a while, we went home and suddenly saw Baralai and Paine kissing. We all started to comment and I ran to her. I wanted her to give me an explanation, but Baralai was there, so I had to be sneaky.

"Would you stay for dinner?" Yuna asked suddenly.

"There is no problem for me." Gippal said, winking me.

Paine saw this and gave me her look: you-have-to-tell-me-everything, and I replied raising my eyebrows.

"If you don't mind ..." Tidus said and Yuna insisted.

"I think it would be too much trouble." Baralai said.

"Not at all, Baralai. What's the difference between three plates and six? Come on, it'll be fun." I said excited, but Baralai wasn't looking at me. He was looked at Paine, who nodded and smiled at him sweetly. _Oh…They're so sweet._

"Do you want something special for dinner?" I asked them.

They all said they didn't care, so I told the girls to come to the kitchen to help me prepare things. I had to solve a couple of things:

1) Why Yuna was so insistent with Tidus, if she "hated" him yesterday.

2) Explanation of the kiss between Paine and Baralai.

"Well, who want to start?" I told my friends while I pointed them with my finger.

"How about if we start with you?" Paine said seriously.

"Paine. Come on, really?" I said and Paine replied with a look of anger. "Okay, okay ... You were right, Gippal felt something for me."

"And ..." Paine asked.

"And we kissed."

"And ..." Paine asked again.

"And we have said that we love each other." I replied flushing.

"I can't believe it." Yuna said. "But you weren't such as good friends and you barely speak. You've just spent the summer together."

"Yuna… Come on, do you really think I would stay all summer in that town for a friend?" I told my friend desperately.

"So, something else happened that summer." Paine said.

"Do you need me to answer that, Paine?" I said quite angry. "I have spoken, now it's on to the next. How about you, Yuna?"

"Sorry! Me?!"

"No, not you. The pan behind you that now we call it Yuna. Of course it's you." Paine said, making the three of us laugh.

"All right. You see ..." Yuna began to say.


	12. Chapter 12 - Yuna POV

**I'm so sorry I didn't update last week, I had some problems with my Internet, but it's okay now. I've decided that I'll update each Saturday so the next chapter will be update on 1****st**** May. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

**(Yuna)**

"I've already spoken."Rikku said. "Now it's on to the next. Yuna, what about you?"

"Me?!" I exclaimed.

"No, the pan behind you." Paine said and we all laughed.

"Well, what do you want me to tell you?" I asked, though I had a vague idea of the answer.

"Did something happen between you and Tidus?" Rikku asked, rocking back and forth.

"Well, you see ..."

**FLASHBACK**

"Sorry Seymour, it's that I had just got up and didn't remember that I had to meet with you." I said as I left my house.

"Don't worry Yuna."

We walked to the library that was closer to my house without talking too much. I didn't want to be there with him, but I promised to study with him and couldn't break my promise.

We arrived at the library and I let my stuff in one of the tables, but Seymour insisted that we sit in another table which was farthest from the rest.

"Well, it's six and they library close at 21.30, so we have a few hours, besides, I have to go do some errands for the girls." I said as an excuse to leave early.

"I'm sure the girls can manage alone, now let's focus on studying Yuna." Seymour said with a smile that gave me chills.

It had been an hour and a half and I only wanted to take my stuff, so I told Seymour that I would go home, but Seymour held me there because he needed to solve some "doubts" .

My phone started ringing after half an hour and saw it was Paine. After having a little conversation with her in which I explained her that Seymour didn't let me go, Paine told me not to move there because she had a plan. _Thank Paine!_, I screamed inside.

After cut the call off, I sat back in my chair and kept listening to the concerns of Seymour.

It had been 15 minutes and Paine didn't come to rescue me. _Where is Paine?_, I thought, and just when I thought I would never leave that place, my salvation appeared. Tidus.

Our eyes met. Tidus made a movement of his head telling me that he had come for me, and then I felt like a fairy princess. I had to thank Paine for her help, so I grabbed my phone and texted her thanking her for her help.

Tidus walked over to where we were and Seymour steadily. When he came closer to us, Seymour raised his head and looked angry. I, however, had a smile from ear to ear.

"Yuna!" Tidus said cheerfully, and then he did something that left me gasping for air. Tidus bent over me and pressed his lips on mine. "I've been looking for you everywhere, remember that today we had arranged for dinner."

I looked at Seymour and saw that his face was red with anger. _Has he kissed me?_

"Yes, sorry." I said and looked at Seymour. "Sorry Seymour, I have to go. See you in class on Monday." I said and Tidus grabbed my hand and we left the library.

"Yuna, sorry about what happened there." Tidus apologized.

"It doesn't matter." I said blushing. "I know you've done it to help me."

"Uh ... yeah, that's it."

I nodded and walked to my house with Tidus, who insisted on accompanying me.

We were talking about school and classes, peers, summer, and our friends. We could see my house in the distance, and I noticed that there was a couple in front of our front door. The girl was shorter than the boy and they were kissing. _The boy has to bend even the girl tiptoed…how sweet_, I thought, and that's when I realized who they were ...Rikku and Gippal!

I turned to tell Tidus, but he had already noticed.

"Tidus, what should we do?" I asked confused.

"No!" Tidus exclaimed with his arms around me.

"What are you doing Tidus?" I ask scared.

"Holding you to not to move. Gippal has been waiting for this moment too long." Tidus said.

"But they have already finished." I said trying to look at him.

"Are you sure?" He asked looking into my eyes.

"Of course ... don't you see?" I said as I turned and saw that they were kissing again. "Well, not yet."

"Wait until they finish, okay?"

And so we did. We were waiting ten minutes until Gippal and Rikku finished of...well, "clarifying" their things, and in all that time, Tidus didn't stop hugging me. I felt comfortable so I decided to get even more comfortable and rested my head on his chest.

"Yuna, do you mind if I hold you?" Tidus asked me.

"Not at all." I answered and then, Tidus hugged me stronger and more secure. After ten minutes, we finally saw the couple went. "Tidus, they have gone." I said, but Tidus didn't answer. "Tidus?" I called him.

"Sorry?" Tidus asked me distracted.

"I said they have gone, we can go if you want."

"Oh , yes, of course. Sorry." Tidus said and came home with me.

**END FLASHBACK**

"And that was when I walked in and saw you kissing Baralai, Paine." I finished saying. "Now it's your turn Paine!" I exclaimed flushed.

"Baralai came with Tidus pea brain because he was looking for you. I told Tidus that he had to "rescue" you." Paine began.

"And you stayed alone with Baralai?" Rikku interrupted.

"Yes, and if you do not mind Rikku, do not interrupt me. Where was I? Oh yes. The pea brain went away, and Baralai said he should go but I told him he could stay if he wanted to. He stayed. We talked and kissed. We ended the kiss and started to apologize, but I gave him another quick kiss and it was when you arrived, so what you saw was nothing to what happened before." Paine said.

"Oh, it's the most beautiful story I've ever listened!" Rikku said.

"Shh. Rikku, shut up! The guys are on the other side." Paine said.

When she said that, the three of us looked out through the window of the kitchen door and watched the boys. The three were sitting on the couch, talking and laughing among them.

"It would be great to know that they are talking about." I said.

"If you shut up and pay attention, you'll find out." Paine said, and we were all silent.

"So Rikku and you are already together?" Baralai asked.

"You can say yes. Dude, you don't know how good I feel right now." Gippal answered.

"How?" Tidus asked.

"Well, you know, I noticed her last year when Cid and she began to discuss about one of the problems of chemistry. Do you remember that that year I told that we had to be inside at lunch time because I had an allergy? Well, I lied. I had no allergy. But I knew that Rikku ate inside, so I wanted to coincide with her. And then, this summer, when I saw her in Kilika, it was as if heaven had fallen down to the ground."

"What happened exactly that summer Gippal?" Baralai asked laughing.

"Well, we were together at a party and I dared to ask her to dance."

"And?" Tidus asked.

"And I kissed her for the first time, although it was a short kiss."

"And then you left?" Tidus asked again.

"The next morning. I wish I could talk to her and told her that I loved her then, so I wouldn't have wait until today."

"Oh, Rikku. Your story is so pretty." I told my friend.

"Shh, they keep talking." Paine said.

"And what about you Baralai?" Gippal asked with a smile.

"What you saw and more." Baralai replied laughing.

"I've already known that, what I wonder is if you..." Gippal went on.

"If we're together?" Baralai asked.

"Also, but... Have you told her that you love her and all that?" Gippal continued asking.

"Not yet. I know that after ten years I should tell her, but...we are talking about Paine." Baralai said while sighing.

"Paine..." I started to say. I wanted to ask her delicately if she knew Baralai for so long, but my cousin stepped forward.

"You've knew Baralai since you have seven years old?" Rikku asked.

Paine was with her mouth open in surprise. She couldn't speak so she just nodded.

"Paine, do you love him?" I asked.

"I don't know. All this is happening too fast." Paine replied as she could.

"Paine, if you like him, don't let him go." Rikku said, and for once, she was right.

We returned with the boys to ask them whether they preferred Chinese food or pizza, and the three voted for Chinese food.

We just had to wait fifteen minutes until the delivery arrived. I knew the dealer. He was a friend of Paine, Ikatch.

"You are Paine's friend, right?" Ikatch asked me.

"Uh, yeah." I replied.

"Is she at home?" He asked again.

"Yeah, one second." I said and went to the lounge to find Paine.

Paine got up from the couch and grabbed Baralai hand, leading him towards the door.

"Tell him I'm busy." Paine told Baralai.

Everyone was expectant.

"You're the guy from yesterday." Ikatch said.

"What do you want?" Baralai asked.

"I want to talk to Paine, not to you, who do you think you are?"

Baralai laughed and turned his head to look at Paine, asking what to say. Paine nodded and then Baralai knew to say.

"I'm her boyfriend. Do you have any problem?" Baralai said with an attitude that no one had seen before.

Ikatch was silent and then began to laugh out loud. Then Paine appeared beside Baralai and kissed him on the cheek.

"Baralai." Paine said with a smile. "Dinner is getting cold."

Ikatch seemed about to explode and went grumbling.

Dinner was fun, and we started to drink. The thing was getting more entertaining as time passed by.

Rikku and Gippal and forgot that we were with them, and focused on each other, exchanging kisses and words full of feelings.

"I love you." Gippal murmured.

"I love you too." Rikku answered him after a kiss.

"At least you aren't like them." Tidus said, making Paine and Baralai to blush.

"Guys, I have an idea. Why don't you stay the night?" I proposed.

Gippal left Rikku for a moment to look at his friends and consider the proposal.

"There is no problem for me." Gippal said looking back at Rikku with a smile.

"I ... well ..." Baralai began as he looked at Paine, who was biting her lip waiting Baralai's response.

"I'm in." Tidus said and I began to dance inside.

"So I guess that too." Baralai said unconvinced still looking at Paine, who was grinning from ear to ear after heard Baralai's answer. "I mean, I'm in too." Baralai said again more convinced and smiling to Paine.

"Great, now we just have to organize things for sleeping." I exclaimed, standing up and jumping.

It was to be a long night, but one of the best nights.


End file.
